The Other Side of Shadow: The Ultimate Life Form
by Rebeldynasty
Summary: The story surrounds the events in Sonic Adventure 2. It strays somewhat from the original plotline, especially in what happens to Shadow after saving Earth from ARK's collision. What will become of Shadow? What other dangers do he and the others now face?
1. Chapter 1: Rouge's Plan

**_Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Sonic team. This fanfic is for pure enjoyment of writing only._**

_Author's note: This story is something I originally started writing about two years ago. However, learning from a previous mistake I made on my first fanfiction ("Bass' Last Battle") I thought it wise to not upload any of the content until the story was nearly done being written. So without further ado, I give you…_

**The Other Side of Shadow: The Ultimate Life-form**

**Chapter 1: Rouge's Plan**

Despite all the goings-on, of the blue hedgehog known as Sonic trying to foil Dr. Eggman's plan, of the mysterious bat known as Rouge, joining the dark forces, and of his own recent release from suspended animation, Shadow still found himself in the chao garden, gracing the dark chao with his presence. His mind was filled with blanks, his memory hazy, his own identity seemingly the same.

For some reason beyond his own understanding, Shadow had come to love the one little dark fly-type, known as Pyro. He was three different shades of purple; his face and belly a deep purple, the majority of him violet, and the tips of his hands, and the two spires jutting out of his head, a light purple.

Pyro was not the oldest chao in all of the chao world; in the dark garden, he was merely the second; out f all the chao, he was the fourth. But, of every last one of them, he was the most advanced. He had transformed three times, living his fourth life. In a sense, he was ageless, immortal; much in fact, like Shadow himself.

It only made it that much easier to care for him; that, and the fact that Pyro was the only chao who showed Shadow any affection. Besides Pyro, there was Spike, a dark run-type who had once been a Hero, but had wandered into the dark garden to stay. He too, was living his fourth life. There was Charlie, a chao born with half light-blue chao blood, due to his sire, Echo, who lived in the regular, neutral garden. There was Spiras, another fly-type, born of Spike and Pyro, and there was Luna, a power-type who shared the same parents.

These chao had favoured Rouge; even Pyro liked her-but it was Shadow with whom he truly communicated.

As Shadow entered the garden, he found Pyro and Charlie scuffling in one corner, shouting nasty things at each other in chao language. With a sigh, Shadow approached them, and commanded sternly, "Alright, you two. That's enough."

Both looked up briefly, blinked, and continued to squabble. He grabbed both of them by an arm each, hauling them apart. Charlie looked up at Shadow sheepishly, and stopped. Pyro, on the other hand, continued to swing from Shadow's grasp, chattering angrily.

"Pyro!" Shadow admonished. The chao had become so strong, Shadow had to release Charlie in order to get full control of the stubborn fly-type.

Pyro wriggled from his grasp, and proceeded to pounce on Charlie, the two tumbling into a heap of flailing limbs. Every now and then, a blur of Pyro's phoenix parts, wings, tail, feet, and crest, would come into view. Eventually, all these parts blocked out Charlie's tiger ones.

Shadow muttered under his breath, and decided to do something that normally wouldn't be advised; he pulled out a chaos emerald. "Chaos control!" he shouted. Fortunately, none of the chao had seen it; if they had, something that can only be described as gold fever would have come over them.

Shadow moved quickly, warping the two chao to opposite sides of the garden. Charlie was all-too-happy for this new development; Pyro, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. He looked around for his adversary, but found Shadow looming over him, instead. Pyro waved meekly, but upon seeing the glare on Shadow's face, decided to run away, screeching.

"Oh, no you don't!" Shadow declared, pouncing on the little chao. Scooping him up, he glared at Pyro, the little chao squirming in his grasp.

"Tow, tow, tow!" Pyro cried in chao language. It meant, _No, no, no!_

"Too bad. What did I tell you about fighting?" Shadow chided.

Pyro babbled in chao language, saying, _"That it isn't right to!"_

"Ah, and what were you doing, Pyro?" Shadow ventured, continuing to hold the chao in an iron grip.

Pyro screeched something to Shadow, imploring. _"I'm sorry! Please, Master Shadow, forgive me!"_

Shadow stopped, letting the chao down. He hugged him closely, whispering, "Promise me, no more fighting, okay?"

Pyro nodded, then looked at Shadow in concern. He made an inquisitive sound, cocking his head.

Shadow didn't reply; he was plagued by the memory of Maria, the kindest girl he'd ever known, the grand-daughter of his creator, Gerald Robotnik. Just before she had sent him to Earth, locking him in a capsule, she had said, "Shadow, I beg of you, do it for me, for all the people on that planet…" his memory was still hazy; all he knew in his heart now, all he wanted, was to avenge Maria. The military men of Earth had harmed her, killed her. He could not allow them to live, after that.

Pyro queried again, still looking up at Shadow. Shadow shook himself from this thoughts. "Yeah, I'm alright. I was just thinking about...Maria."

Pyro snuggled up to him, whimpering. Shadow cradled him closer, hushing him gently.

"It's alright, Pyro. It isn't your fault." He smiled, rocking the chao gently.

A few moments passed, and Pyro whispered something groggily.

"I know." Shadow replied, setting the little chao down in a few leaves. He covered Pyro, keeping him warm, petting him gently.

Standing up, he looked around. Everything was in order; Charlie was eating, Spiras was swimming, and Spike and Luna were exercising together. With a feeling of dread, he left the garden, knowing he couldn't be late for the briefing of his next mission.

---

Aboard the space colony, ARK, Shadow fiddled absently with the computer, awaiting the arrival of his "partners in crime".

The transporter hummed to life, and Dr. Eggman emerged, sitting in his machine known as the Eggwalker.

"Greetings, doctor," Shadow turned to face him, "what news do you bring of our mission?"

"We're returning to Prison Island," Dr. Eggman replied, "Rouge wants us to meet her there."

"You don't sound pleased," Shadow remarked, "just what does she hope to gain from going there?"

"You'll see."

---

"I'm glad you could make it," Rouge greeted, "I brought you here because my intelligence reports confirmed there are chaos emeralds on this island."

"I'm not thrilled that we had to return here," Eggman snapped, "how can you be sure your intelligence isn't wrong?"

"Trust me," Rouge insisted, "it's _never_ wrong. I know my jewels."

"Very well, very well," Dr. Eggman replied irritably, "then here's the plan"

Dr. Eggman confirmed that Rouge was to enter the security hall and find the emeralds, Shadow was to plant the dynamite packs on the island, and Eggman himself, was to distract the G.U.N. troops at their weapon's bed.

"We'll set the time for ten minutes," Eggman continued, "then the whole island will blow, and no one will be able to stop us!"

"Five minutes should be plenty!" Rouge lamented, an air of pride in her voice.

"Set it for ten." Dr. Eggman repeated to Shadow, thoroughly ignoring the ivory bat. The three went on their separate missions, leaving the others to complete their side of the bargain.

---

Shadow raced through what he dubbed the 'White Jungle', planting the dynamite packs every twenty feet or so, dodging the occasional G.U.N. robot. _Primitive machines._ He thought scornfully, busting through yet another robot. _I wonder how the chao are doing?_ A bullet whizzed passed his ear, bringing him back to the task at hand.

Shadow jumped in the air, and somersaulted directly into the chest of the robot that had fired at him. Three more dropped around him, their cannons going off.

With a sigh, he ricocheted off of one into another, eventually creating a smouldering heap of metal. Three red, chaos drives dropped around him, glowing with a strange light. He picked them up, pondering, _I wonder if Pyro will like these? After all, he only needs a bit more skill's fruits, and a few more drives, and he'll be at his full potential for this life._

With that, he rushed through the forest, coming to the end of his route. Suddenly, his comm. Let out some static, coming to life.

"Hey, it's Rouge," came the breathless voice, "I kind of have a situation here. I found three chaos emeralds, but now I'm stuck in this vault! I guess I can't really call myself a treasure hunter anymore…"

Shadow sighed with frustration, images of Maria flashing before his eyes the last time he had seen her. "Trouble maker." He muttered, his agitation elevating. _How could she be so careless?_ He dashed off, hoping desperately that he could make it.

---

Shadow ran as fast as he could, the jungle around him a green blur. He stopped suddenly at the top of a tree branch, looking around to get his bearings. A blue image caught his eye, a voice beginning with, "Hey, that's…"

"That blue hedgehog again, of all places!" Shadow muttered in exasperation, Sonic glaring back at him.

"I found you, faker!" Sonic declared, pointing at Shadow accusingly.

"Faker?" Shadow replied mockingly, "I think _you're _the fake hedgehog around here. You're comparing yourself to me? Ha! You're not even good enough to be my fake!"

"I'll make you eat those words!" Sonic said defiantly, charging forward.

Shadow leapt to the ground, declaring, "There's no time to play games. You won't even get the chance!"

The two dodged around each other, collecting an abundance of rings to keep up their energy level. Shadow jumped, then attacked Sonic, bouncing off of him and landing on his feet with ease. Sonic grunted, then he too, somersaulted, colliding with Shadow.

Shadow reeled, and struck back again, the two hedgehogs coming to a standstill.

"I see. You're no ordinary hedgehog," Shadow remarked, panting, "you're not bad for an imposter."

"Do you even know who I am?" Sonic replied incredulously.

Shadows' comm. Crackled to life again,, Dr. Eggman's voice demanding, "Shadow, what are you doing? Get off the island before it blows up!"

"Blows up?!" Sonic cried.

Shadow jumped away, and rushed off. There was only two more minutes before the island exploded, and Rouge was still trapped.

_That bat's more trouble than she's worth,_ he fumed, _but, I can't let her die. Besides, she has the chaos emeralds!_

_---_

He made it to the vault that contained Rouge, the clock showing ten seconds remaining. Rouge looked up to see him racing toward her, only three seconds on the clock…

"Chaos control!" Shadow shouted, the three emeralds' in Rouge's possession providing much more than adequate power for the warp. Just as they disappeared from the vault, the whole island went off, exploding. _I wonder if that blue hedgehog made it?_ Shadow pondered. _Well, no matter; if he shows up again, he will meet his end by my hands!_


	2. Chapter 2: Between Angels and Demons

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. All characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team.**

_Author's note: I hope my story is to everyone's liking. It's been quite some time since I'd had the inspiration to write, so I apologize if I'm a bit rusty._

**Chapter 2: Between Angels and Demons**

Since Dr. Eggman was broadcasting his empire-to-be to people all over the world, Shadow felt it was wise to stick around, and see the outcome.

The moon was to be destroyed as a demonstration of what would happen to all those on Earth if they did not comply.

Shadow watched as half the moon exploded into rubble, and turned to the monitor to see people running around, looks of shock and astonishment on their faces.

However, the world leaders did not look the least bit alarmed; this caused Eggman to become furious, hitting and kicking the computer console before him.

Rouge entered, and in quite high spirits. "That was impressive! You have the whole world in a panic! Does this mean we can control the planet, and do as we choose?"

"Where _have_ you been?!" Dr. Eggman barked impatiently.

"Something happen?" Rouge queried, looking at Shadow.

"Our threat fell on def ears," he explained, turning back to Eggman, "the cannon won't charge up fast enough at this rate. You'll need all seven chaos emeralds."

"Just look at you, throwing a tantrum like a little kid," Rouge admonished, "how totally embarrassing!"

"Remember your end of the bargain, bat-girl! You're suppose to collect all the chaos emeralds. There's still one missing! Where's my emerald?" Dr. Eggman griped, turning to her.

Rouge presented him with a news article, showing Sonic's friend, Miles 'Tails' Prower being awarded a chaos emerald for saving the city from a missile attack.

"Why didn't you show this to me before? This will makes things much easier!" Dr. Eggman headed for the Eggwalker, then to the teleportation device.

"Where are you going?" Rouge asked.

"I have some business to take care of," he replied, "and so do you! Find that fox, I want that chaos emerald!"

Shadow starts to leave, but notices that Rouge hasn't budged. _I'll look into that later,_ he assured himself, _right now, I must look after Pyro._ With that, Dr. Eggman and Shadow left, leaving Rouge to her own devices.

---

Shadow entered the garden, and much to his dismay, Pyro and Charlie were fighting again. "Pyro, what did I say?" he shouted incredulously, approaching the twosome, and prying them apart.

Pyro chattered in chao language, recoiling from Shadow.

"What do you mean, 'he started it'? Pyro, you know better!" Shadow chided, anger in his voice.

Charlie scurried away, feeling it best to avoid this particular confrontation.

"You promised me, no more fighting…" Shadow trailed off, his voice betraying disappointment.

Pyro began apologizing, trying to explain.

"No," Shadow said sharply, "no more excuses! You have lost my trust!"

Pyro cried plaintively, looking up at Shadow tearfully. He said in his language, _"No, no! Please…don't do this! I'm sorry, I really am!"_

Shadow turned away from Pyro's tearful gaze. He felt betrayed. The only creature he truly trusted, for he did not trust anyone, and it had lied to him. He did not want to look at Pyro; he was far from being primitive. He had no excuse for lying, for breaking his promise.

"_Master, please don't hate me. I should have listened to you…please, forgive me!"_ Pyro implored, tears streaming down his face.

Shadow sighed. The chao was sobbing quietly behind him, clutching his leg. He could not stay angry with him anymore; Pyro was being sincere.

"Why," Shadow whispered, his gaze softening, "why did you lie? Why couldn't you keep your promise?"

Pyro explained in chao language, his explanation easily translated in Shadow's ears. _"I tried to tell you, Charlie started it. He said bad things about you."_

"Why would he do that? What kind of things?"

Pyro replied quickly.

"That I'm not the ultimate life form?" Shadow echoed, beginning to laugh. Pyro looked at him strangely, cocking his head.

"_Master?"_ he inquired.

"Pyro, you didn't have to defend me. We both know that I am! Come here," Shadow chuckled, relief washing over him, "I forgive you. You meant well." _He has not betrayed me after all,_ Shadow mused, _he has proven his loyalty._

Pyro snuggled closely to Shadow, shaking with tears. "You don't need to cry," Shadow soothed, "I'm not angry. Just please, no fighting. Don't listen when they say something like that. Don't let it bother you, okay?"

Truthfully, it bothered Shadow. What had led the other chao to say something like that?

"Pyro, do you know why he said that?" he asked after a moment, rocking the chao gently.

Pyro babbled something, the name 'Rouge' coming out in common.

"You guys were talking about what we do for Dr. Eggman?" Shadow repeated.

Pyro exclaimed, nodding. He continued his explanation, but Shadow interrupted, getting the gist.

"So, she doesn't believe that I'm the ultimate life form, eh? Hm…there is more to Rouge than meets the eye," he looked down at the chao in his arms, "did Charlie mean any offence by it?"

Pyro made a non-committal response, thinking. _"I'm not sure. Why, master?"_

"Well, I don't think he did. Perhaps he can tell me more about Rouge?"

Pyro replied, _"Maybe, but he is loyal to her…"_

"I'll be careful while asking, of course," Shadow insisted, "after all, I _am_ the ultimate. I can be stealthy…"

"_Yeah, right."_ Pyro replied in chao, giggling mischievously.

"Yeah, right? _Yeah, right?_" Shadow responded, a wry grin forming. "Well, Pyro! How unlike you to display doubt in your master! Should I tickle you, then? Will that be proof enough for you?"

Pyro babbled a quick response, giggling anxiously., dancing out of Shadow's reach.

"Are you sure?" Shadow replied mockingly, "I really could…"

Pyro babbled again, waving his arms in surrender.

"Changed our tune, have we? Okay," Shadow chuckled, then turned serious, "now, I need you to listen carefully. I'm going to need your help questioning Charlie. We need to be as inconspicuous as possible."

Pyro responded with something in chao, cocking his head questioningly.

"How? Leave that to me, my friend."

---

"_I don't like this."_ Pyro complained in chao, tugging at the recording equipment's wires.

" I know it's uncomfortable, but you have to wear it. If I try asking him myself, at least right now, it'll be too obvious. We need the recording equipment. That way," Shadow continued, placing the ear-piece in Pyro's ear, tucking the wire behind his left spire, "when he thinks it's only you talking to him, he'll spill the beans."

"_Not after the fight we had,"_ he said, _"what if he figures it out?"_

"He won't," Shadow assured him, "that bow you're wearing is big enough to conceal it."

"_That is suspicious enough in itself!"_ Pyro exclaimed.

"Just say I gave it to you as a gift," Shadow shrugged, "it's not so unbelievable. Your birthday approaches."

Pyro inquired, surprised.

"Well, maybe. I don't remember when you were originally born. You've had a few lives since then!"

Pyro seemed satisfied with this answer, then looked at the bow in disgust. _"Why is it pink?"_

Shadow chuckled, "Ironically enough, I borrowed it from Rouge; she said she hadn't used it since she was a child, and I told her I needed it for the day only, to _celebrate your birthday,_" he emphasised, "whether she believed me or not, or even cared, is beyond me."

Pyro shrugged, then asked Shadow another question.

"I want you to approach the subject lightly, carefully. Maybe apologize for the fight? You could ask what Rouge does for Dr. Eggman, what her work involves, and if you think it'll make him less suspicious, you can tell him what role I play."

Pyro made a discouraged statement, translating into, _"But he doesn't believe you're the ultimate. Rouge misled him. He believes what she believes."_

"You don't have to say I'm the ultimate, even though I am. It'll only cause another fight, most likely. Besides, I'm not just a title, Pyro," Shadow remarked, "I do a lot of other things. I help to come up with the master plans, set the traps, not to mention I can cover ground faster than either Rouge or Dr. Eggman."

"_Okay, I'll do it, master."_ Pyro declared, grinning.

"I'm counting on you," Shadow patted the top of Pyro's head, "I'm leaving the gardenb for a few minutes, ten probably. Is that enough time?"

Pyro made an affirmative sound, then asked Shadow a question.

Shadow sighed, chuckling slightly. "Yes, I'll bring you food. There's no time to lose. Do your best!"

---

As Shadow re-entered the garden, he noticed Pyro swimming, Charlie alongside him. "Hey, Pyro. Come here!" he called to him, his arms laden with skills fruit.

The other chao all looked up, and raced toward Shadow hungrily. _Oh, no…_ Shadow groaned inwardly,

Pyro hurried forward, getting to Shadow before the rest of them. _"Master, just give them some other food. That will stop them." _He said pointedly.

Shadow nodded, dropping the five skills fruit at Pyro's feet, and hurried around, grabbing the tree fruits that normally grew in the garden. He quickly passed them out to the other four chao, who seemed happy enough.

When everything quieted down, Shadow pulled Pyro off to the side. "Any news?"

Pyro said something affirmative, fidgeting with the bow. He pulled out the recording equipment, handing it gingerly to Shadow, keeping it hidden from prying eyes.

"She's researching me? That's odd. Why would she be doing that?"

"_I'm not sure. But there's more on the tape. After he said that, I couldn't understand the rest. He began speaking in a different chao dialect." _Pyro explained.

Shadow hid the recording equipment behind his quills, "Good job, just the same. I have to go now," Shadow stated, hugging the chao quickly, "but I will return to you."

---

Before returning to the space colony, Shadow decided to visit the Hero Garden. Pyro hadn't understood the other dialect Charlie had used, and thus, Shadow needed someone who could translate it to him, in full.

_I hope she helps me,_ Shadow thought, _I wonder how long a chao can hold a grudge?_

He approached a hero swim-type by the name of Venus. He looked down at her. She looked up at him, blinking.

"Hi, there."

"Ak bah!" she shouted. _Stay away!_

"Look, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to step on you, it was an accident, and it was weeks ago…" Shadow apologized, kneeling down to see her at eye-level.

Venus squealed something incredulously, making an accusatory statement.

"Ten times? It's been that many?" Shadow stifled his laughter, perspiration forming on his neck.

"_Stop laughing at me!"_ Venus growled.

Shadow couldn't contain it any longer. A choked giggle came passed his lips, causing him to slap his hands over his mouth, shaking with suppressed laughter. "I need…your…help…" he finally managed.

But, it was too late. Venus turned her back on him, her seal-fins crossed_. "No way! If you want my help, you will beg me to forgive you."_

Shadow groaned, regretting his disrespectful behaviour toward the Hero chao. "Okay, okay. You're right. They weren't all accidents. You're a hero chao, you're raised by my foes-but I still need your help. My chao doesn't understand this one dialect, and you do…" he trailed off, his voice betraying hopefulness.

Venus glanced back at him. _"I'm waiting."_ she said bluntly, using the main chao dialect.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have treated you so badly. It doesn't matter who raises you. You're still a chao, still a sentient being, and thus, worthy of respect. Much more respect than an ultimate life form like myself deserves," he grovelled, his pride suffering greatly, "please, Venus. Help me."

She babbled something, looking at him inquisitively.

"Yes, I promise. I won't laugh at you anymore." Shadow agreed hastily, eager for her co-operation.

"_Okay."_

Shadow handed her the recording equipment, and let her listen to it. After a few minutes, Venus opened the bottom line, explaining in the main dialect.

"Rouge is a spy? What else?" Shadow asked, listening carefully.

Venus replied again.

"That's what Pyro said, too. Any clue as to why?"

Her answer translated into, _"To figure out if you truly are the ultimate life form."_

"So she's a government spy…I'll bet directly ordered by the president himself! And she's to find out if I'm the ultimate life form, or not?"

Venus nodded.

"But why?"

Venus shrugged. _"It doesn't say."_

"Alright, thanks for your help, Venus. I'll try not to destroy your master."

"It is Knuckles." Venus bristled.

"The echidna? Then you have nothing to worry, so long as he doesn't stand in my way. My focus is on that blue hedgehog." Shadow said darkly.

"_I will tell them all of this."_

"I understand. I'm prepared for them anyway. I wouldn't want to have an unfair advantage over them." He grinned wryly, chuckling.

Venus snarled something, disgusted.

"I mean it. Besides, whether they are informed or not, there is no way they can defeat me. I am the ultimate!"

Venus replied morosely, glaring at Shadow in distrust.

"No, I suppose you shouldn't have helped me. But, your information came in handy. Farewell!"

---

Author's ending note: Well, I hope this chapter was satisfactory. Please read and review. 


	3. Chapter 3:The Bat's Out of the Bag

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. All characters owned by Sega and Sonic Team. Chao names merely represent the chao I owned in the game.**

**Chapter 3: The Bat's Out of the Bag**

Shadow watched as the little yellow and blue plane soared passed him, heading directly for Dr. Eggman's hidden base. "Doctor, they're coming straight toward us," he spoke into his communicator, "what should we do?"

"Just sit tight, I have them on radar. I don't know what they're planning," Dr. Eggman replied, "but I'll be sure to give them a warm welcome."

Shadow put the communicator away, and waited. _This is going to take a lot of time,_ he mused, _I would rather be doing something more productive. No matter, I have to stay here._ He sat down, hoping the wait wouldn't be too much longer.

He was in a mountainous region, due east of Pumpkin Hill. The landscape was something to behold, but right now, all Shadow could think about was his memories with Maria. _I will be reunited with you someday, Maria._

_---_

"Shadow, they escaped! They're headed toward ARK!" Shadow picked up his comm., pressing the button , and responding. "How'd they manage to get away?"

"They defeated the Egg Golem," Dr. Eggman snapped, "can you get up there?"

"Soon enough. I'll meet you in your transporter room." Shadow clicked the communicator off, knowing full well that Eggman would signal Rouge with the same message.

_She's still up there on ARK,_ he thought, _I wonder if she's researching me at this very moment?_

_---_

"Just what is Rouge up to, anyway?" Dr. Eggman was muttering to himself as Shadow entered. He had just given her the password, but something about how she asked for it seemed…_off._

_I think it's time to announce that the people of Earth are doomed._ Shadow mused, turning to leave.

"No, Shadow. I should be the one to tell them their fate, not you. Hurry, this is a time for action, to bring this long drawn-out battle to a close," he explained, "in case something happens to me, I'll need you to finish the job."

Shadow nodded, and both left on their separate missions, Shadow heading up to the central control room of ARK. Dr. Eggman had a plan of his own, to lure the blue hedgehog and his friends into a trap. He had vaguely mentioned a signal coming from both a fake emerald, and a real one. Two signals from two genuine emeralds could not be possible, mainly because they already had six of the seven. _No matter, we'll beat them._ Shadow assured himself, and contented himself to a nap in the observatory of ARK, plagued by dreams of Maria.

---

A little more than an hour and a half later, Shadow awoke, watching as Dr. Eggman trapped the blue hedgehog, Sonic, in a capsule, firing him into space. The capsule exploded into brilliant flame, then reverted to particles.

"I guess he was just a regular hedgehog after all." He lamented, getting up. He headed toward the control room, only to find Rouge muttering to herself excitedly.

"…They're mine, all mine!"

"I don't think so!" he interjected.

"Shadow…" Rouge gasped, utterly surprised.

"So this was your plan from the beginning, huh? Or was it a direct order from the president? I know who you are," he declared, "you're that government spy, Rouge the bat, aren't you?"

Both exchanged knowing glances, Shadow grinning victoriously.

"So you did your homework, is that it? I'd say that's an invasion of privacy." Rouge stated, looking at him over her shoulder.

"I could say the same thing about you." Shadow retorted, crossing his arms.

"Well, I guess things aren't going your way. But, since my work is done, I figured I'd take what's mine and get out of this place." Rouge replied, pacing.

"You are one _pathetic_ creature!" Shadow exclaimed in disgust., turning away from her.

"Hmm, look who's talking," she countered, "what about you?"

Shadow looked up at her, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Here are the research results of the project called the ultimate life form," she flew down, an article in hand, "but, if this picture is of the real ultimate life form named Shadow, just who or what, is standing in front of me?"

Both stared the other down, the tension so thick they could've cut it with a knife. Just then, Eggman paged Shadow, bringing both of them out of the uncomfortable silence between them.

"This is Dr. Eggman. I have found all seven of the chaos emeralds. Shadow, someone is trying to get to the Eclipse Cannon," he explained, sounding agitated, "there's not much time before the cannon fires again. Can you get over there?"

Shadow shut the communicator off, saying to Rouge in a threatening tone, "If you want to live, leave the chaos emeralds where they are. The fake emerald is good enough for you!"

"Do you actually believe that you're the real Shadow?" Rouge asked in disbelief.

"No doubt!" Shadow countered impatiently.

"Even your memories might not be real, you know."

"Even if my memories are not real it's still me, Shadow," he said, his voice softening, "and I will fulfill my promise to Maria. That's the only thing that matters to me now."

He walked away, and as he exited the room, realized the error in what he said. _No, Pyro matters to me as well. I must say goodbye before I head into battle._

He hurried to the transporter, rushing into the chao lobby, and into the dark garden. "Pyro!" he called, looking around. The little purple chao ran up to him, looking at him curiously, his little spiked bauble floating above his head.

Pyro asked him something indistinctly, allowing himself to be scooped up into Shadow's arms.

"I…I have another mission. I'm not sure when I'll return, or if I'll return." Shadow confessed, his voice strained.

Pyro cried out burying his face into Shadow's fur.

"I have to, this is why I was created."

Pyro pleaded, clutching Shadow's arm.

"I'm sorry, Pyro. I have to go. Tell you what," an idea came to him, "why don't you come with me? That way, you could stay on ARK."

"_Master, are you sure?"_ Pyro sniffed.

"Of course. You'll just have to keep a low profile. I don't think Dr. Eggman likes chao very much." _Or any other creature, for that matter_. He added mentally.

Pyro replied, hugging Shadow, declaring something in chao language sadly.

"Why Pyro? Why must you stay here?"

"_To help the other chao. They need me. I'm the ultimate to them."_ He replied in determination, tears in his eyes.

"Alright, Pyro. Before the very end, I promise, I will come to see you." Shadow declared.

"_Okay, master. I know you can do it."_

"Thank you, Pyro." Shadow hugged the chao one last time, and with both hesitation and determination, left. _I will never forget you, Pyro. Take care, my ultimate child._

_---_

_Author's note: I know it's not a very long chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed it, just the same. I promise, the story does get more interesting as time wears on. Please read and review._


	4. Chapter 4:A Promise Unkept

**Disclaimer: Characters are property of Sega and Sonic Team.**

**Chapter 4: A Promise Unkept**

Fifteen minutes later, Shadow found himself just outside of the space colony, ARK. He was in a brightly lit tunnel that opened up, where the floor continued to have ever-moving light streaming down it.

Another moment passed, and a glimpse of blue fur alerted him to his foe's presence. So far, Sonic did not see him. Of course, as far as Shadow was concerned, this blue hedgehog wasn't even suppose to be here.

"You never cease to surprise me, blue hedgehog," he approached Sonic from behind, the blue hedgehog turning to face him, "I thought that capsule you were in exploded in space."

The two began walking, Sonic replying rather jovially, "What can I say? I die hard."

They quickened their pace to a trot, Shadow countering, "So, there's more to you than just looking like me. What are you, anyway?"

"What you see is what you get," Sonic replied non-chalantly, "I'm just a guy who loves adventure. I'm Sonic, the heddgehog!"

"I see, but you know," Shadow retorted, his tone becoming less awestruck and more threatening, "I can't let you live. Your adventuring days are coming to an end!"

Shadow raced full-boar, his levitating shoes gliding over the surface of the space runway. _I have to put an end to this_. He thought, noting how Sonic kept pace with him easily.

"It's time for me to finish this, Shadow!" Sonic expressed Shadow's own thoughts, the black and red hedgehog grinning wryly.

_How ironic. Our minds have similarities as well as our incredible strength and speed_. He mused. Much to his disappointment, he had fallen a great distance behind Sonic due to his ponderings.

With a burst of energy, he summoned his power, yelling, "This is the ultimate!"

He warped in front of Sonic, who attempted to attack him. Shadow rebounded with his own somersault, and dashed further ahead.

"You wanna play that way, huh?" he heard Sonic call. To his astonishment, Sonic shouted, "I'll use your chaos control!"

_Some how, he's warping with the power of chaos control,_ Shadow mused, _we must be in close enough proximity to the chaos emeralds on the Eclipse Cannon. No matter, I'll still beat him._

The two came into range of each other once again, and continued to home in on each other. Eventually, both stopped, out of breath.

"I told you," Shadow bit out, "I'm the ultimate!"

"One problem, Shadow. Dr. Eggman hasn't put the seventh chaos emerald in place yet. The cannon won't fire. How will you ever truly beat me, now?" Sonic challenged, a hint of laughter in his words.

"Hmph. You think you've got it all figured out, huh? I'll get it in there for him, and no one will stop me!" Shadow countered. Without warning, he used chaos control, vanishing from Sonic's line of view.

---

He rushed into the central control room, locking the emerald he'd grabbed from Dr. Eggman on the way in place. It glowed, the six others doing likewise. He hurried to the control panel, keying in the command for the cannon to charge up.

"What took you so long?" Dr. Eggman inquired, entering the room.

"Sorry, doctor. I took care of that little problem. You're free to attack, now."

The control room was filled with maniacal laughter, the feeling of both victory and doom lingering in the air.

---

In the dark garden, Pyro began to worry. He looked around, making sure no one was paying attention to him. He left the garden, something chao didn't ordinarily do, and headed up the clear blue stairs that led to the chao lobby. He looked around, seeing the doorways to the regular chao garden and the kindergarten. Up another flight of stairs was the Hero garden, but this was not Pyro's destination. He looked around, the chao lobby that connected all the different parts of the chao world, was in a sense, a bubble floating in the universe. It was clear, allowing Pyro to see all the stars around him.

_I hope master is alright. _He thought. He could see ARK from here; the chao world floated above Earth, and was invisible to most. Only those who knew of its existence could reach it, and only with a transporter.

Pyro looked to the centre of the room, the teleporting device humming. He stood still for a moment, contemplating his next course of action. He spoke out loud, his chao voice echoing, _"Should I go, and look for Master Shadow?"_

Pyro's shoulders slumped, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. He wiped them away scornfully, saying to himself, _"Yes, I should. Crying will not solve a thing! If I want to help Master Shadow, I have to fight! I cannot stay here, not anymore! He needs me!"_ With that, Pyro stepped on to the transporter, setting his destination.

I cannot stay here, waiting for him to return. I can't do nothing, while he does everything. I can't allow him to sacrifice himself.

With a flash of light, Pyro was gone, the chao lobby eerily quiet.

---

Shadow sat in the observatory, also known as the research facility, on ARK. _Shouldn't the Eclipse Cannon have fired by now?_ He pondered, gazing down at the Earth. The doors behind him hissed open, Dr. Eggman approaching.

"What is it, doctor?" Shadow queried, not even glancing back.

"The cannon, it won't fire. A video clip of my grandfather came up," he explained sounding both anxious and excited all at once, "I don't think the cannon is meant to fire. He must have had another plan entirrly."

"It sounds like we've initiated a different program when we added the seventh emerald," Shadow said decidedly, "even I was not aware of his true intentions. My memory…it's like a puzzle. Some of the pieces are missing."

"So what did I initiate? What's happening?" Eggman snapped, slamming his fist down on the window pane that looked down onto Earth.

"I'm not sure," Shadow replied, "a lot must have happened after my encapsulation. My guess is that professor Gerald became anguished, and acted out through emotions."

"So this means you don't know?"

"Your theory is as good as mine. Perhaps you can find more on ARK's central computer?" Shadow suggested.

Dr Eggman left, leaving Shadow alone with his thoughts. He didn't know why, but he had a sudden urge to listen in on whatever might be going on in the central control room. He made his way over to the abandoned lab, where he could hear everything perfectly.

He could hear a video of his old master, Gerald Robotnik, speaking. He uncovered his plan to have the ARK crash into the Earth once all of the chaos emeralds were collected. He spoke of revenge, so that all the ungrateful humans who had taken everything away from him, could feel his loss and despair.

Rouge's voice echoed, saying all of the things the professor was thinking and feeling. _They must be reading his journal now_. Shadow thought.

Much of it spoke of how he believed it had been a mistake to create the proto-type of the ultimate life form. He professed deep regret, knowing his research had caused the death of his grand-daughter Maria, and countless others, when the ARK was shut down.

He had gone insane, only thinking about avenging her. Soon, his insanity turned calm, as he went on to explain the creation of Shadow.

Shadow listened more closely now, his ear against the grating.

"Based on my original projections, I was able to complete my project, Shadow. I designed its mind to be perfect, pure. I will leave everything to him. If you wish, release and awaken it, to the world. If you wish to fill the world with destruction…"

_What is real?_ Shadow pondered, _are my memories those of the proto-type, or did I truly exist when Maria was still alive?_

"Did Maria truly send me down to Earth, to fix everything? Am I the real Shadow?" he asked himself. _My memories feel real…_

"So that's why you released him from the base!"

Shadow's reveries were interrupted by Rouge's voice. Dr. Eggman went on to explain that the cannon's core was highly reactive, the chaos emeralds were overpowered. Once the ARK reached the Earth, all would be destroyed.

"That mad scientist!" Dr. Eggman exclaimed, not sounding the least bit displeased.

"That should be you, right?" another voice piped up.

_I know that voice,_ Shadow perked up, _that's the voice of the female hedgehog_

"We have to stop the space colony, now!"

_That's that fox! But what are they all doing here?_

Dr. Eggman explained the ARK's position may have shifted due to the amount of energy given off by the chaos emeralds. "We have to stop that energy!" he concluded.

But why would the doctor want to stop it? Isn't this what he wanted? Wait…ARK will be destroyed as well. That explains everything. We will all perish, if it hits.

"But how?" he heard Tails ask. Silence reigned for a moment, Rouge's voice piping up.

"Hmm, that's it! There _is_ a way to stop the energy! We have to use your emerald!"

_She must be talking to the echidna_, he surmised, listening intently.

"You're the one that told me that the Master emerald has the power to stop the chaos emeralds!"

"That's right," he heard Knuckled reply, "if I use this, we just might be able to stop the chaos emeralds!"

The fox, Tails, explained that the reaction of the chaos emeralds was moving toward the cannon's core. "It might be too late!" He exclaimed.

"There still might be some time left, if we pull together." Dr. Eggman suggested. He went on to say that they needed to use the shortcut that led to the core. There was silence as a few hums and beeps came from the nav computer they were using.

Sonic declared, "No worries. Just leave it to me. I'm the world's fastest hedgehog!"

"Then let's get to work!" Dr. Eggman insisted. The alliance had been made. All that was left was for Shadow to remain here. They don't need my help. Sadness crept over him, feeling as though his usefulness had just run out.

_Author's note: I hope you've found the chapter enjoyable. I'll hopefully have a few more chapters up later on._


	5. Chapter 5:Until We Meet Again

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team.**

**Chapter 5: Until We Meet Again**

Pyro looked around in confusion. He had made it to the space colony, ARK, but he wasn't sure exactly which part he had landed in. He stepped off the transport device, noting the room he was in was deserted. He spoke aloud, _"Maybe if I try to do chaos control, I will find Master. Now, how do I do this? I must figure it out…"_

Pyro knew the chaos emeralds were close, so he could borrow their power. He concentrated on where he wanted to be. He thought, _With Master_.

He visualized Shadow, and soon had a complete map laid out in his mind, leading him to Shadow. He shouted, _"Chaos control!"_ in chao, and disappeared in a flash of green light, the control room empty once again.

**---**

Shadow felt a strange tingling down his spine, his back quills quivering_. I feel tremendous energy,_ he mused_, but, what from?_ A blinding flash of green light appeared before his eyes, a small bundle of purple fuzz falling into his lap.

"Pyro?!" he said incredulously, holding the chao up in front of him. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Pyro's head lolled slightly, the chao weakened temporarily from energy loss. He stammered something, his voice faint.

"Help me? I don't understand…with what?"

"_I thought you were in trouble. I still do."_ Pyro insisted.

"Well, you may be right. The space colony is on a crash course to Earth. Dr. Eggman, Rouge, and the heroes are trying to stop it."

"_Why are you not helping them?"_

"I'm no longer needed, not really," Shadow explaied, a sudden tightness in his chest, "they've got everything under control."

"_I don't want you hurt…but you are their last hope! They need you!"_

"I thought _you_ needed me? So what now, you're trying to push me away?"

Pyro made a sound of protest, but Shadow interrupted. "Wait, I broke my promise to you. I didn't come back. That's why you're doing this! You're upset with me!"

"_No Master Shadow. Please, listen!"_ Pyro pleaded in chao.

Shadow sighed. "I'm sorry, Pyro. I let you down."

"_Not true, I'm not upset with you,"_ Pyro explained, holding Shadow's hand between both of his own, _"I came to help you fight. I want to stop the bad things from getting worse, and I want to help restore good into the world."_

"I see…but I can't allow you to," Shadow declared, "it's far too dangerous. I don't want you to possibly be killed. I could not deal with the pain." Pyro began to protest again, Shadow interrupting him. "No, 'but Master'! Pyro you can't help me," Shadow said, "do you remember what you told me?"

Pyro shook his head in frustration, _"No, don't say it. What good is it to stay for them, while you, on the other hand, cannot stay for me?"_

"Pyro, I'm sorry…I really do want to stay for you," Shadow said softly, hugging the chao, "but this is my destiny. I have to do these things, even when I don't want to."

Pyro squirmed away, turning his back to Shadow, uttering something accusatory.

"How am I hypocrite and a liar?" Shadow inquired, feeling stung.

Pyro pointed out about Shadow admonishing him for fighting with Charlie.

"I have to fight, Pyro. You shouldn't fight with your friends."

Pyro babbled something angrily.

"Not true. I can't fight with my friends. I have none." Shadow stated bluntly.

Pyro replied indignantly with a severe question.

"No, no! Pyro, you do count. You mean a lot to me!" Shadow insisted, putting a hand on the chao's shoulder. Pyro shrugged it off, his arms crossed.

Shadow knelt on one knee, spinning the chao around to face him. "Pyro, I'm sorry. You're right. I've been mauling over the past, the parts that matter to me, like Maria…"

Pyro interrupted, _"There is nothing wrong with that. She was a good person."_

"No, there isn't anything wrong with that-but I dwelled so much on the past, I forgot to be grateful for who exists in my life right now, to live for my future," Shadow proclaimed, "and I'm sorry. I took you for granted. You are one of my greatest friends."

"_But I should not be the only one."_

"Who else should there be?" Shadow inquired.

"_Rouge, Sonic, all of the heroes, if you gave them the chance."_

"They all want to be my friends? What makes you think that? Rouge was in for her own dealings, and that blue hedgehog stood in my way. Not to mention all the trouble his friends caused."

Pyro explained, _"They tried to stop you because you were misled to do bad things."_

Shadow considered this a moment, stroking his chin. "You're right; destroying the Earth wouldn't have righted the wrongs brought on Maria. It would have made her death in vain, everyone's loss would be for nothing if I continued the path of destruction."

Pyro nodded in agreement.

"Pyro, I have to go now. I have to keep my promise to Maria!" Shadow exclaimed. He hugged the chao tightly, "And I have to keep my promise to you as well." He tickled Pyro under the chin, the chao giggling.

"Farewell, my friend. Take care," Shadow whispered, "if I do not return, Rouge will take care of you."

Pyro sniffled, saying something pleadingly, and snuggled into Shadow.

"I will do my best to return, and I will never forget you, either," Shadow replied, "now, I must go. Stay here. I will inform Rouge of your presence."

Pyro whispered, _"Okay Master Shadow. Farewell…"_

With that, Shadow left, Pyro crying silently on the floor. Amy passed Shadow on her way in.

"Where is he going?" she muttered to herself. She then saw Pyro, and rushed forward to comfort the chao, suddenly realizing why he was crying.

---

_Author's Note: I hope this chapter was satisfactory. I know there isn't a lot of action, but I promise, the story takes off a bit later on. Please R and R._


	6. Chapter 6: The Ultimate Battle

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shadow, or any other characters herein. Characters created by Sega and Sonic Team.**

**Chapter 6: The Ultimate Battle**

Shadow hurried to the cannon's core, knowing there was no time to lose. He made it there in record time, entering just as Sonic and Knuckles found themselves face-to-face with e prototype, also known as the Biolizard.

"Could this be the prototype of the Ultimate life form that was suppose to be encapsulated?" Knuckles queried, both he and Sonic awestruck by the shrill, ugly beast.

"Leave this one to me." Shadow stepped forward, surprising them both.

"Shadow? What are you doing?" Sonic asked, clearly surprised by his appearance.

Shadow stopped, the prototype sizing him up. Shadow turned back, shouting, "I'll take care of this while you run to get the chaos emeralds!"

Sonic and Knuckles wasted no time, and dashed off, leaving Shadow to face his greatest foe; the other version of himself.

_Alright, it's now or never!_

The Biolizard began chasing Shadow around the ring, his mouth gaping open. _He clearly wants to bite me,_ Shadow mused, _primitive creature_. He ran, gliding along, avoiding the wrath of his prototype. Eventually, it stopped moving, deciding to recharge its energy. Shadow spotted the piping leading from the prototype's mouth to his support system on his back. _If I grind up it, I can slam into its support system, and weaken it._

He jumped, grinding up the pipe with his hover shoes, and somersaulted, slamming his feet hard on the core of the support system. He jumped off, the Biolizard roaring in absolute fury. It began spitting dark energy spheres at Shadow, the hedgehog dodging as swiftly as he could. _Why won't it give up?_ He fumed, just missing a black sphere, another slamming into him just then, knocking him to the ground.

He groaned, looking up. The Biolizard was bearing down on him now, intent on making a snack out of him. Shadow kipped up, and ran, avoiding the Biolizard just in time. It reared its head back, and an assortment of tiny red specks surrounded it, many trying to hit Shadow.

_Maybe, if I hit them, they'll help me reach the top, and I can hit his support system again,_ Shadow thought. Dodging a few that were intent on hitting him, Shadow leapt on top of them, finally landing at his goal. He prototype roared again, and slumped to the ground, exhausted.

"Get out of here, you ugly prototype!" Shadow growled, turning away. _It's time to see how the others are doing,_ he decided.

---

He turned to the phoney shrine, built to help harness the power of the chaos emeralds. Sonic and Knuckles had just made it to the top of the stairs, Knuckles placing the Master Emerald in the centre of the shrine.

"The servers are the seven chaos. Chaos is power, power is enriched by the heart," Knuckles began the incantation, "the controller is the one that unifies the chaos. Only you can do this! Stop the chaos emeralds!" he finished, the Master Emerald illuminating an eerie green light, spinning quickly on the spot.

Suddenly, the prototype roared, and vanished in a blinding light. Shadow leapt into the shrine, bewildered. "Is that what chaos control is?" _It's even more powerful than what I do. He did it with the power of the Master Emerald. _He had barely heard Knuckles ask if the prototype was gone before voicing his own question.

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began shaking, Shadow staying low to keep his balance.

"Since we stopped the chaos emeralds, why is the colony still on a crash course to Earth?" Knuckles queried, falling over.

Dr. Eggman's voice echoed around them, "The prototype is still alive, and he is controlling the space colony as it's falling to Earth." He continued, a note of painc in his voice, "He has become one with the space colony, and is determined to keep it on its collision course!"

They were all stunned into silence, Knuckles bringing them back. "Sonic!" he exclaimed. Sonic glanced over at him, then at Shadow.

Shadow looked back at him, and nodded. _It's time for us to unite our powers,_ he decided. He caught a glimpse of Knuckles, who was now grinning, understanding what their unspoken plan was.

"There's no time to waste, Sonic. Let's do this." Shadow said aloud. The two stepped into the centre of the shrine, ready to create their own power.

---

Shadow faced Sonic, eyes locked, both lifting up a hand to mirror the other's. They turned, the seven chaos emeralds overhead. Shadow clenched his right hand into a fist, Sonic doing likewise with his left. They both closed their eyes, focusing their energy. The chaos emeralds spun faster and faster, tightening their circle around the blue and the black and red hedgehogs.

Both opened their eyes, blinding light dancing around them, the chaos emeralds a blur, an intense power washing over them. Sonic turned a golden colour, shining brightly. He was now Super-Sonic. Shadow became a silvery-gold, his red stripes still accenting his eyes and quills. He had become Hyper-Shadow.

"Knuckles, return to the control room," Sonic requested, "let them know we're on our way out to stop this thing!"

Knuckles nodded, dashing off.

The two brilliantly shining hedgehogs used chaos control, warping themselves into space, only about twenty feet from ARK, the Biolizard fused with it.

"We'll take it in turns," Sonic suggested, "while one of us goes to attack, the other can divert its attention."

Shadow nodded his agreement, deciding to play decoy first. "Sonic, there's a red swelling on the prototype. It may be a weak spot. Aim for it!" he called to Sonic, noticing a red welt on the side of the prototype's neck.

Sonic carefully navigated his way toward the Biolizard, avoiding the tiny red spheres that the creature was using as its defence.

He slammed into the prototype, who had been distracted by Shadow's flying around his head.

"It's my turn, Sonic." Shadow relayed, dodging away from the mouth of the prototype.

"The red swelling is moving!" Sonic exclaimed. And so it was, as Shadow saw.

"We must be causing some sort of weird blood-clotting, unblocking areas, only to clot up another," Shadow concluded, "without full use of his support system, his defences are weak!"

He rushed at the Biolizard, ARK getting closer and closer to Earth. A beam of blue and red light slammed into him, projecting from the prototype's support system. _It's unstable, so it's releasing the power to protect itself, _he concluded, carefully dodging the beam, and the red spheres that continued to propel themselves at him.

_There it is!_ Shadow spotted the red swelling, this time on the side of the creature, just before his hindquarter. He slammed himself into it, propelling off, the Biolizard roaring with outrage.

"Shadow, you need rest. Let me take care of this!" Sonic insisted. He went in for the attack, Shadow staying a fair distance away.

"Sonic, Shadow, can you hear me? We're all rooting for you," Rouge's voice crackled over the communicators in their ears, "give him trouble! And Shadow, Pyro's here, too. He says he loves you, and no matter what, he will always be proud to call you Master."

"Pyro, I will not fail you," Shadow whispered, a tear falling onto his cheek, "I promise."

"_No matter the outcome, you will never be thought of as a failure. To me, you will always be the one, the only, the true…ultimate life form!"_

Shadow wiped his eyes, noticing that Sonic had just hit the prototype again. "I have to go, Pyro. Take care, my friend."

With renewed determination, Shadow spun around, his arms folding. "Here I come, you creep!" he shot past Sonic, who flashed him a thumbs-up. _This is it; this should take him out._

Two beams dances around him, the prototype incredibly unstable. Red spheres pelted him, leaving burns on his arms, but he no longer cared. He had to make Maria, the whole team-and Pyro, above all, proud. He had to destroy the negativity that had come from Professor Gerald's despair.

He slammed into the swelling, now located on the Biolizard's tail. With a mighty roar, the prototype reared its head, and let out a defeated, mournful call. It went limp, and began to disintegrate before their eyes.

He and Sonic clapped their hands together in a semi high-five, handshake.

"I must destroy all the evil the professor had created." He stated, feeling a new purpose swelling within him.

"The ARK is still entering the atmosphere!" Knuckles cried over the comm. Both hedgehogs turned to each other, their job still not done.

---

_Author's note: Well, this concludes another chapter. Hopefully, I'll have the next one up sometime later today, or even tonight. I hope this was enjoyable. Please Review._


	7. Chapter 7: The Ultimate Hero Sacrificed

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team.**

**Chapter 7: The Ultimate Hero Sacrificed**

No way that's getting through!" Sonic declared, both he and Shadow rushing toward the falling space colony, the ARK red with fiery heat.

"Shadow, I beg of you…" Shadow heard the voice of Maria in his memories.

"Maria…" he uttered her name softly. It was like she was speaking to him right this moment, though her voice was distant and echoed.

"Give them a chance to be happy!" Images of Maria flashed before his eyes, intermingling with images of his beloved Pyro, his child. _I will not fail you,_ he promised silently, _either of you._

"Shadow, now!" Sonic commanded. Shadow pulled himself back into the present, and faced Sonic, both raising their hands together once again.

"Chaos control!" they cried in unison. A beam of light spread around them, then pushed out, surrounding ARK. The power crackled, rings of it spinning and twisting around the space colony. It stopped, the space colony warped back to its proper orbit. The world below rejoiced, unaware of the sacrifice that had been made to save them from destruction. Shadow felt faint, floating down toward Earth.

"Maria…this is what you wanted, right? This is my promise I made to you…" he said quietly, adding mentally, _Good bye, Pyro. I will see you again, someday_.

He seemed to disappear; Sonic looked down, seeing Shadow fading from view. "He's…gone." He managed, his voice hoarse. He climbed back aboard ARK, dreading to tell everyone the news.

---

It had been three days since Shadow had sacrificed himself to save the people of Earth, and much sadness had spread through nearly everyone's hearts. When Sonic had announced him dead, Pyro had taken it the hardest, crying into Rouge, then pushing her away.

The chao hadn't spoken two words to anyone, and kept a safe distance from his fellow chao. When Spiras tried to ask him what had happened, he turned away from her. If any of the chao murmured behind his back, mentioning Shadow's name, he threw fruit at them. Rouge found herself quite busy, soothing injured chao, feeding them, rushing them to school, as far away from Pyro as possible.

"I don't know what to do anymore," she told Sonic, just having dropped Pyro off at school for a change, "he's taking Shadow's death horribly. He nearly never eats, he cries himself to sleep, he's irritable with the other chao…"

Sonic nodded in understanding, "I have to say, it is hard to deal with. Shadow started out as a formidable foe, as what I thought as a faker," he mused, " but in the end, we became allies. I was sorry to see him go. Give it time, Rouge. It's only been three days."

"I know. I just don't know what to do," she sighed, "he won't let anyone comfort him."

Knuckles walked up, joining them in the chao lobby. "Hey," he greeted, "I just finished up with Venus and the others. She's a bit melancholy right now."

"Well, Pyro has become down-right unmanageable. Luna told me today that she offered to play a game of catch with the ball, and he kicked it directly into her face!" Rouge exclaimed.

"On purpose?" Knuckles inquired, eyes wide with surprise.

Rouge nodded, "I had to calm her down. She wouldn't stop crying for fifteen minutes! I had to have a sit-down with all the chao, and explain to them why Pyro is acting this way."

"So, are they upset with him?"

"Not so much, now that they know what happened," Rouge replied, "they're sad, too, but they know Pyro loved Shadow best. Spike said today that if it had been me, he'd act the same way."

"Well, at least they'll steer clear for now," Knuckles said, a note of relief in his voice, "I'm glad they aren't holding it against him."

Suddenly, the transporter hummed to life, Tails and Amy stepping off of it.

"So, how are things?" Amy asked, turning to Rouge.

"Difficult, still." She replied, sighing.

"It's only been a few days. I'm sure he'll be alright." Amy said reassuringly. Rouge was hearing this a bit too frequently, but settled for a weak smile, rather than retorting.

"I know," Tails interrupted, "why don't we have a memorial service?"

"That's not a bad idea," Knuckles agreed, "it may bring Pyro some closure."

"I don't think it will be that easy," Rouge insisted, "he's really upset."

"No, he won't heal right away," Sonic conceded, "but it will help him to come to terms with it."

"And besides," Amy added, "it will show respect for Shadow. It's only right. And that way, Pyro will know we miss him, too."

It was decided. "Tomorrow night, we have a memorial for Shadow." Sonic declared, everyone going their separate ways to prepare for the funeral to come.

_Hear that, Shadow? Pyro still needs you…we all do! We have no direction without you, now._ Rouge thought bitterly, tears in her eyes_, once you came into our lives, it's like we never knew how we went through life before you._

"You're the ultimate life form," she said aloud, her words a choked sob, "the world still needs you in it, in order to be happy."

---

_Well, this is the appropriate setting_, Rouge thought ruefully, looking around the Dark Garden. _It looks just like a cemetery. We'll just spruce it up a bit, for Shadow._

"It's a good thing Amy is gathering the flowers," Rouge turned to Knuckles, "I wouldn't know a flower from a weed. I'm not a flower girl."

"If jewels were chosen for such occasions," Knuckles stated, grinning, "you'd be an expert."

Rouge rolled her eyes, decided to ignore the echidna's remark. "Just what _is_ Sonic doing, exactly?" she asked, beginning to gather all the fruit strewn about.

"He's gathering anyone who may feel inclined to be here for the memorial." Knuckles answered, picking up stray twigs.

"What about Dr. Eggman?"

"It's strange…he just sort of left, after we all came back to Earth," Knuckles mused, "I have this feeling he only valued Shadow as a tool."

Rouge sighed. "It figures. Scientists…" she grumbled, putting all the fruit together near a large, dead tree in the garden,

"Tails decided to write the eulogy," Knuckles continued on, "he's the most articulate of all of us."

Rouge only nodded, seemingly lost in her thoughts. She pulled something out of her pocket, gazing at it for a long while.

"Hey, what'cha got there, Rouge?" Knuckles queried.

"It's Shadow's rings," she replied, the ones he wore on his wrists to conserve energy."

"What are you going to do with them?"

"Well, I made this card," she pulled a card out of her pocket, "for all of us to sign. I plan to put it, along with his rings, over by those gravestones across the pool."

"I'm sure Pyro will appreciate that," Knuckles affirmed, "that way, he can look at it, and when he feels troubled, he can sit there and talk to Shadow.

"I know it sounds crazy," he continued hastily, "but often times, you visit a grave of someone you knew, and pay your respects. Many people talk to them, hoping their spirits will hear them."

Rouge shook her head, "It doesn't sound crazy," she stated, "it sounds just like what Pyro needs right now."

---

"We are all here to honour Shadow, a courageous, compassionate hedgehog that kept his promises, and helped to save us all, and all of mankind." Tails stood in front of everyone, reading the eulogy clearly. "He gave his life for the planet Earth, and for the girl he had loved, Maria. He was bitter and confused, and we all mistook him for evil. The truth is, he was pure of heart, and his intentions were good., even if his methods were questionable."

Tails went on, his voice filled with passion. "We're not here to remember his wrongs; we are here to remember the wrong he righted. Not only the wrongs he committed himself, but of the whole world. He was truly the Ultimate life form, for he made the ultimate sacrifice. He restored the world, creating a new age in which we can all be at pesce."

Everyone bowed their heads in silence, Pyro crying softly. Venus patted his shoulder; she too, was crying. All of the chao from each garden were there, paying their respects. Everyone held a flower each; some were yellow, others were white, and still others were pink.

"If anyone wishes to come forth, you can make a speech about Shadow." Tails said, looking around the crowd.

Sonic stepped forward, Tails moving off to the side. "When all of this began, I thought Shadow was an evil fake of me. As time went on, I realized there was more to him than that. I soon understood that he was not evil, but misguided by his anger, his thirst for revenge," he paused. His eyes closing, "I just wanna say…I'm sorry, Shadow. I never should have doubted you. You truly were…a great hedgehog." Sonic stepped down, allowing Rouge to speak.

"For me, it began in search of all the emeralds. The president needed me to find them, and to find out all I could about Shadow," she began, tears rolling down her cheeks, "but I learned so much more about Shadow than what any research could show; underneath the bravado, the cool exterior, was a caring being, who was doing everything he could fir his dearly departed, Maria. Rest in Peace, Shadow. I hope you have found what you were looking for." She rejoined the crowd, wiping the tears from her eyes.

No one else stepped forward. All of those who had had much interaction with Shadow had said their piece-except Pyro. He did not want to speak to everyone about him; it was too sacred to blurt it all out loud for everyone to hear.

Everyone signed the card, placing their flowers by the gravestone on the small island in the pool.

The rest of the chao were returned to their respective gardens, the other dark chao dropped off at school_. Pyro needs time alone,_ Rouge thought, looking back at the sullen chao_, he needs to grieve, with no interruptions_. He was sitting by the gravestones, the centre one engraved with Shadow's name.

Rouge looked at him for a moment longer, then left, leaving Pyro with his memories.

---

_Author's note: I know, it's a sad chapter, but I promise, the story is far from over. Things will start picking up again, don't worry. Please Read and Review._


	8. Chapter 8: A Chao's Broken Heart

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team.**

Author's note: I think it's worth mentioning that the chao aren't actually speaking English at any time, but their own language. I merely translate it into English because it would take far too much time to both create a chao language, and for people to read it, and keep interested. Originally, that was a concept I had, but decided to discard. Also, I know that chao are technically genderless, but for the sake of the story, I give them primary genders, though they can all still breed.

**Chapter 8: A Chao's Broken Heart**

Pyro sat crying, holding Shadow's rings close to his face, feeling the coolness of them pressed against his cheek. _Oh master, where are you now? I miss you so much…I wish I could be with you…_

Pyro curled up, Shadow's rings tightly in his grasp. His sobs turned to hiccupping sighs, then to silence, his tears dripping onto the flowers. With one last cry of _'master'_, he faded into an uneasy sleep.

---

Pyro awoke to Rouge leading the other chao back into the garden after their school lesson. She whispered something to them, then left. They eyed Pyro, and upon seeing him look right back at them, turned away, talking amongst themselves. They soon made their way toward him, all concealing something behind their backs.

Pyro sat up, feeling alarmed, and very defensive. He watched them wearily, never blinking.

"_Pyro, we have a gift for you."_ They pulled pieces of paper out from behind their backs, each with a picture drawn on it.

Spike showed his picture first, which portrayed Shadow and Pyro cuddling. _"We wanted to help you honour Master Shadow."_ He explained, handing the picture to Pyro, who looked at it intently.

Next came Spiras, with a picture that portrayed Shadow and Pyro playing with a ball, both laughing. Spiras' voice quavered, _"We are sorry for you. You were closer to him than anyone was."_

Luna came up next, her picture depicting Shadow giving Pyro a piggy back ride_. "We want you to have good memories."_ She lamented shyly.

Charlie was the last to step forward, the picture showing Shadow playfully tickling Pyro, a phoenix feather in hand_. "I know it is difficult, so I wanted to give you this. I'm sure he is watching over you."_

Pyro took all of the pictures, almost smiling now. He whispered, _"Thank you."_ The other chao bowed in response, then left him alone, allowing him to mull over this new development.

---

Two weeks had passed since Pyro had received the drawings from the other chao. He hung them up against the rock wall above the gravestone that represented Shadow. He no longer showed hostility toward the other chao, but he did not participate in their games, either. He sat by the gravestone nearly all day, only leaving to eat the spiky orange fruit native to the dark garden.

"_Oh, master. I still miss you…"_ Pyro murmured, his eyes shining with tears. Looking at the drawings, his tears flowed freely, a sad smile upon his face. _"I wish you were here."_

"But Pyro," came a familiar voice, " I _am_ here."

---

_Author's note: I know, evil cliff-hanger, and a bit short. I hope this chapter was enjoyable. There will be more to come soon, I promise._


	9. Chapter 9:Return from the Grave?

** Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team**

**Chapter 9: Return from the Grave?**

Pyro whirled around, a look of bewilderment upon his face. _"It cannot be…Master Shadow?"_ he stammered, looking somewhat frightened.

"Why can it not be? I am here, Pyro," Shadow stood before him, "I'm not sure how, but I am."

Pyro backed away warily. _"But you died."_

"Apparently, I didn't," Shadow replied, "but everyone thought I did."

"_What do you mean?"_

"It's hard for me to explain, Pyro. In fact, I don't remember very much at all."

Just then, Rouge walked in, not looking the least bit surprised to find Shadow standing there.

"_Mistress Rouge! Master Shadow is alive!"_

"I know, Pyro. I'm the one who found him." She replied matter-of-factly.

"_What? How can that be? Where?"_

"I just found him quite accidentally," Rouge began, "I was searching Eggman's base for more clues as to his whereabouts, and there Shadow was. He was in suspended animation, within a capsule."

"_How did he get there?"_

"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling Eggman has something to do with it. He doesn't seem to remember anything about saving the world," Rouge explained, "and he barely remembers me, or the others. Stranger still, he remembers you perfectly, and can recall Maria from so long ago."

"_That is odd…but he did promise to never forget me."_

"I believe what he's suffering from is called amnesia," Rouge stated, pacing now, "by the sound of it, it's only temporary."

"_Will he ever remember everythi-"_ Pyro began, Rouge interrupting.

"Yes, he should be able to remember everything again," she rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "he just needs something to trigger his memories, and they'll come flooding back to him."

"Not to interrupt," Shadow spoke for the first time since Rouge's arrival, "but how can I be sure my memories will be real?"

"We'll help you piece it together," Rouge offered, "we'll tell you all we know about you."

"But, what about everything else?"

"Don't worry," Rouge insisted, "whatever we can't piece together for you, you'll remember it again."

"But, what if I don't?" Shadow persisted.

"You'll just have to be patient," Rouge sighed, "ARK wasn't built in a day."

---

As it turned out, Rouge was right; Shadow's memory became more and more clear as the weeks wore on, and he could remember everyone perfectly. After two months had passed, he was able to recount exactly what happened after he and Sonic stopped ARK from plunging into the Earth's atmosphere.

"I thought I was dying, after we used chaos control," he explained. Rouge, Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, and the chao were all gathered around him in the Dark Garden, listening as he recounted the events. Pyro sat in his lap, and he continued, "I remember feeling myself falling to Earth, burning."

"_Then you blacked out?"_ Pyro asked in chao.

"Yes," Shadow replied, "when I awoke, I was on a cold slab."

"Then what happened?" Amy asked, passing fruit to Luna and Spiras absently.

"Dr. Eggman told me that he was going to run some tests on me, and 'rewire' my thought process," Shadow continued, "I refused, and the next thing I remember, Rouge let me out of the capsule I was in."

Rouge picked up the story, "Judging by the clock on the cryogenic chamber, I just missed Eggman."

"So, he didn't succeed in changing Shadow's thought process?" Sonic inquired.

"Nope, I don't think so. When I looked over his notes, he planned to turn him into a supreme being of destruction," Rouge shook her head thoughtfully, "judging by what we see here, he didn't get very far. Just caused a lapse in his memory, which could have occurred from the fall to earth itself, for all we know."

"Still, we should be careful," Knuckles said slowly, "just to be sure."

"Knuckles, I don't think there's any reason to believe…"

"Rouge, we don't know that Eggman didn't succeed with his plan, at least in part-"

"He's been here more than two months," Rouge stated incredulously, "if he was going to attack, wouldn't he have done by now?"

"No, it's alright," Shadow interrupted before they could argue further, "Knuckles could be right. Maybe I should be checked out."

"By who, though?" Rouge asked in surprise.

"I might know of someone…" Sonic trailed off, grinning knowingly.

"Really, who?"

"Just leave it to me."

---

_Author's Note: I know, also a short chapter, like the last one. Most chapters are moderate length, but for some reason while writing this, certain chapters ended up shorter. Hope it's still satisfactory. Please R and R._


	10. Chapter 10:Is It Possible?

**Chapter 10: Is It Possible?**

**Disclaimer: Sega and Sonic Team own all the characters herein. Chao names and story concepts are original.**

---

"The _chao_ doctor?" Knuckles said incredulously.

"Yes." Sonic replied matter-of-factly.

"The chao doctor?" Knuckles repeated.

"Nothing gets passed him, does it?" Rouge whispered to Amy, both giggling.

"Very funny, ladies," Knuckles shot, then turned back to Sonic, "the _chao_ doctor?"

"Yes Knuckles, the chao doctor," Sonic said in exasperation, "what is so difficult about that for you?"

"Sonic, he's a _chao_, who happens to be a doctor for _other _chao," Knuckles stated, "he's not going to know _anything _about whether Shadow is alright, or not."

Pyro piped up, chattering defensively at Knuckles. Knuckles looked taken aback, and waved his hands in front of him, apologizing.

"I don't understand what he's saying," Tails complained, "why is he mad at Knuckles? Why is Knuckles apologizing?"

"He said that just because the chao doctor is a chao does not make him a simpleton, and that for Knuckles to insinuate such a thing is offensive." Rouge explained, a smirk twitching at her lips, Sonic laughing as the echidna dodged the furious dark fly-type, who took a swipe at him.

"I'm…sorry! I…didn't mean it…like…that! Ow! Pyro…hey…stop…c'mon, lemme explain…ouch!"

Pyro bit the echidna's tail, then shook his fist at him, chattering again.

"Pyro!" Shadow admonished. The chao looked sheepishly up at his master, stopping his rant.

"Like I was saying," Knuckles explained quickly, "I wasn't suggesting that the chao doctor isn't smart. I mean, I _know_ chao are very intelligent." He looked pointedly at Pyro. The chao glared back, but did nothing. Knuckles continued on, "I only meant that the physical differences between chao and other creatures is hard to miss. He knows the biology of chao, since he is one, but I doubt he's had any experience with hedgehog biology."

"_What makes you think that?"_ Pyro asked, tilting his head, a fire still burning in his eyes.

"Are oyu suggesting that he has had experience with hedgehogs?" Knuckles countered, Rouge translating to Tails in the background, the twin-tailed fox looking bewildered.

Pyro replied with something non-committal, turning to look at Sonic.

"Wait," Knuckles said, understanding dawning on his face, "you've gone to see the chao doctor before?"

Snic nodded, "How else do you think I know he's the one we need to check Shadow out?"

"But when, Sonic?" Amy inquired, looking as bemused as Knuckles.

"I sustained a few minor injuries when the G.U.N. corporation was after me," Sonic explained, "and during some of our battles." His gaze feel on Shadow.

Shadow looked guiltily back, opening his mouth to apologize. "If I'd known then, I never would have-"

Sonic held up a hand, shaking his head. "It's okay. You've more than made up for it."

"So, you really think this chao doctor can-?" Knuckles said quickly, looking back and forth between the two hedgehogs, well aware of the uncomfortable tension in the air from both of their guilt; Shadow feeling remorse for their former rivalry, and Sonic remembering Shadow's sacrifice all-too-vividly.

"He's no expert or anything," Sonic replied, getting back to the subject at hand, "but after seeing me a few times, he's got the basics."

Everyone was silent a moment, considering this information. Rouge and Knuckles decided to gather up fruit for the dark chao, Pyro following. Amy and Tails decided to go visit the regular and hero gardens, giving Shadow time to consider Sonic's proposal.

"Alright," Shadow finally agreed, Knuckles, Pyro, and Rouge rejoining the two hedgehogs, "I'll go see the chao doctor. If I feel out of sorts, I can always find an alternative doctor later, right?"

"I don't know of any human doctors who would be able to help," Knuckles stated, pondering, "many of them are frightened of us, since we're different than the animals veterinarians usually tend to."

Tails and Amy returned, looking between Sonic and Shadow expectantly.

"Then the chao doctor will have to suffice," Shadow declared, "if I turn on any of you…"

"Don't say it." Sonic whispered.

Shadow continued on, ignoring him, "If Eggman really has altered my mind somehow, and if I try to hurt you-"

"Shadow-"

"I want you all to finish me off." He ended, all of them looking aghast. They all started up at once, frantic, pleading.

"Shadow, after what you've done for us-"

"We could never, you could have been-"

"We owe you our lives, if not for you-"

"You saved Earth! How can you expect us to-?"

Shadow stopped them with a look. But the look wasn't angry or commanding; it was imploring.

"Please," he whispered, "if you truly value what I've done, honour my request, please…"

Pyro began crying, begging Shadow to stop saying things of that nature.

"Shadow," Rouge said softly, "it's because of your sacrifice that we can't hurt you."

"If I attack any of you, I won't be the same Shadow that sacrificed himself," Shadow protested, "you _must_ stop me, for your own safety…for the whole world's safety!"

"But Shadow-" Amy began.

"None of you understand! If Eggman succeeded, I won't even know it! Something will trigger whatever he wanted me to do, and the whole world is at risk," he was pleading now, "please, before I gain too much power, before I hurt countless innocents, you must destroy me!"

"But we don't know that he _did_ succeed!" Rouge interjected. "I found you right after he set the timer. We're not going to hurt you; we're not going to risk attacking you for no reason at all!"

"Then promise me that if I do start attacking, you'll do whatever it takes to stop me." He persisted.

Before Rouge could argue further, Sonic replied, "Okay, we'll do it."

"Sonic!" Knuckles and Tails cried simultaneously, shocked.

"Guys, he has a point," Sonic explained, "he sacrificed himself. If he's requesting something of us, we owe it to him!"

"But-" Amy began, Sonic interrupting.

"It's not like we're going to have a choice if he starts hurting people." He stated.

The others resigned, but Amy persisted, "But there must be another way…"

"There is no point in arguing further," Knuckles declared, "first, let's go see the chao doctor."

"Right," Sonic agreed, "if Eggman has tapped into Shadow's subconscious, he'll know right away. He specializes in chao behavioural patterns, but I'm sure he'll recognize strange brain wave activity in Shadow, too."

"If there's something wrong, who knows," Shadow said solemnly, "Maybe he'll have a way to reverse it."

Pyro hugged Shadow's leg, letting out a whimper.

"It's going to be fine," Sonic assured the pair of them, "we'll do everything we can to find a way to help you; I'd rather this not end in tragedy. We'll find a way, I promise."

Shadow nodded, but couldn't help feeling doubtful_. I know you will do all you can to keep this from ending that way,_ he thought, a sad smile on his face_, but if there is no other way, I'll have to end it myself._

_---_

The chao doctor, fortunately, spoke common to Tail's great relief. Shadow sat on the medical bed, the others standing off to the side, looking alarmed. The chao doctor checked Shadow's pulse, blood pressure, ears, and eyes.

"Well, everything seems to be in order here," he said in a gruff little voice, "now, I'll do a cranial scan."

He took out a device, punched a couple of buttons, and waved it over Shadow's head, scanning up and down, back and forth, all around the circumference of Shadow's head.

After a few minutes, he stopped, and hooked the device up to another strange object. The room was thick with tension as the chao doctor took the read-out.

"Hmm..." he said, sounding intrigued, "you seem to have a rather high level of brain activity."

"Dcotr, does that mean…?" Amy gasped, looking frightened.

"No, no," the doctor waved his hand carelessly, "don't worry, my dear, it's not what any of you were worried about."

"How can you be sure?" Knuckles inquired, sceptical.

"The part of the brain that deals with the subconscious, with implanted suggestive thinking, isn't the part showing a great deal of activity."

"So you don't think Eggman succeeded?" Sonic asked.

"No, I do not. If he did, he didn't aim to implant destructive behaviour."

"I can't think of any other kind he would want to cause, and Rouge did find his plans…" Sonic replied, "but the brain activity you speak of; what part of the brain is it in, then?"

"It seems to be balanced between the instinctual and receptive parts of the brain."

Shadow thought this over a moment, "Is it possible that my brain has functioned this way since creation, then?"

"It is possible," the chao doctor agreed, "but we won't know unless you have records in which I can compare these ones to."

"That's perfect!" Rouge exclaimed.

Everyone looked at her, puzzled. She looked meaningfully at Shadow, who stared back, suddenly comprehending.

"My records…you had them…" he trailed off.

"What are you guys talking about?" Amy asked, thoroughly confused.

"Back on ARK, Rouge believed I may not be the true ultimate life form, because of the prototype," Shadow explained, "she'd been researching me, and obtained information on me, including the records of my creation."

"That's perfect, then we'll know if you're the same as you were before," Sonic said enthusiastically, "Rouge, do you still have the records?"

Rouge nodded, "I kept them in a safe spot. Just give me fifteen minutes, and I'll be back with them."

"Thank you, Rouge." Shadow whispered as she turned to leave.

"Don't mention it," she smiled, "after all, you truly are the ultimate life form."

---

_Author's notes: What will the chao doctor find? Did Dr. Eggman truly succeed in his mission, and do the heroes have something to fear, or is their worry for nothing? Next chapter will reveal this, and more._


	11. Chapter 11:Never Any Doubt

**Chapter 11: Never Any Doubt**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team.**

--

"Here are the records I found on you and the Biolizard," Rouge explained, handing Shadow a stack of papers, "and I managed to get print-outs of Doctor Gerald Robotnik's diary as well." She handed him a second stack, even thicker than the first.

"I thought all the data was lost…" Shadow trailed off, looking at the second stack, his eyes unfocused.

"I figured they'd come in handy. They contain records to match the first stack of papers," Rouge explained, "and further prove that you are, without a doubt, the ultimate life form Gerald Robotnik created. The Biolizard was his failed attempt, not you." There was a hint of remorse in her voice. After all, she had questioned his authenticity as the ultimate life form mere months ago. In turn, her doubt had bred uncertainty in Shadow, causing him to question himself.

Shadow gave Rouge a reassuring smile to let her know he held no grudge against her, then handed the records to the chao doctor.

"Thank you," the doctor said, absently adjusting the stethoscope around his neck, "this could take quite some time. Come back in the morning, and I'll discuss the results with you."

The group left the chao doctor's office, standing inside the chao kindergarten, which also had a principal, fortune-teller, and black market as well within the small building.

"So, what now?" Tails inquired.

"No sense returning to Earth," Sonic replied, "we're going to be back here in the morning."

"We could stay in the chao gardens," Amy suggested, "Tails and I could check on the regular chao, see how they're all doing."

"That's a good idea," Knuckles agreed, "Sonic, you and I could go to the Hero Garden, and camp for the night."

"I guess that leaves you and me in the Dark Garden, then." Rouge turned to Shadow, blushing slightly.

"We'll meet in the chao lobby first thing in the morning, then." Shadow declared.

"Right." Sonic said, the group leaving the kindergarten and entering the chao lobby. Sonic and Knuckles headed up the spiralling stairway leading to the Hero Garden, the entrance adorned with statues of halo-clad chao.

"G'night." The pair called, enetering the garden, vanishing, or so it appeared, in thin air.

Tails and Amy walked straight ahead to the neutral garden, its archway adorned with neutral, good-natured chao. "See you guys in the morning!" Amy called in a sing-song voice. Rouge waved to them, the pink hedgehog and fox disappearing from view.

"Shall we?" she said to Shadow after a moment, the black and red hedgehog lost in thought.

He started, and said, "Oh, yes. Of course."

The two walked down the right staircase, statues of mischievous dark chao at the entrance, bows and arrows in their hands.

They entered the garden, all of the chao sound asleep. Spike and Luna were curled up, side-by-side under one of the trees on the far left. Spiras slept on the lone bit of land at the far side of the pool, where the gravestone (no longer bearing Shadow's name) was. Charlie was lying on his stomach by the radio, Pyro a few feet from him, snoring loudly.

Shadow's gaze lingered on the fly-type for a moment, and he smiled. Rouge gently put his hand in her own, and led him off to the far right, where a large, dead tree with a cage dangling from it, stood.

"Shadow, I need to talk to you." She whispered urgently.

He looked at her, puzzled. The pair of them sat beneath the tree, the pool of red lapping gently beside them.

"I just needed…I just wanted to say…" Rouge stammered, unsure how to proceed.

Shadow waited patiently as Rouge struggled to find the words. He didn't know what she wanted to say; if he did, he would have spared her what followed.

"Oh, Shadow! I'm so, so, sorry!" she sobbed, catching him off-guard.

"Sorry? Rouge, what are you talking about…?"

"When I said…you weren't the true…ultimate…but you are…and then you died…or so we thought…and I just…" she went on incoherently, tears flowing freely, "I'm just really, really sorry…if you'd been dead, and the last thought I put in your head was doubt…"

"Rouge, stop torturing yourself," Shadow put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "it's alright. Everything turned out fine, in the end."

Rouge wiped the tears form her eyes, "I'm sorry," she apologized again, "I've just been feeling so bad, all this time…"

"Rouge, it was a mistake anyone could have made, even me," Shadow stated, "I forgive you. When are you going to forgive yourself?"

Rouge smiled weakly. "Thank you, Shadow."

The two hugged for a moment, Rouge backing away in embarrassment. "Well, um, good night, Shadow." She said softly, flying up into the tree, and hanging upside-down.

"Sleep well." Shadow replied, lying between the trees' roots. A strange warmth spread over him. _What is this feeling?_ He wondered, his gaze falling on Rouge, who had already drifted off to sleep, her eyes closed, her breathing even. _Can it be? Is this…what friendship is? Or is it something more?_ He was left to ponder this strange new sensation until sleep finally overtook him.

---

Shadow awoke to a large pair of baby blues' staring at him. Pyro stood next to his head, staring down at him.

"_Master Shadow, you're awake."_ He chattered in chao language.

"Yes, Pyro, I am now." _What had I been dreaming about? It was so pleasant…why can't I remember?_

"Good morning!" Rouge glided over to him from the opposite side of the garden, having just finished gathering breakfast for the chao, her arms now laden with fruit for her and Shadow.

He smiled, taking s spiky, orange fruit from her, and biting into it. It was both sweet and tart, tasting something like a cross between a cantaloupe and a kiwi.

"We better eat up quickly," Rouge declared, passing a fruit to Pyro, and nibbling on one herself, "the others will be meeting us in the lobby soon."

Shadow nodded, and turned to Pyro. "Do you want to come with us?"

Pyro exclaimed excitedly, smiling. Shadow and Rouge chuckled, and the three set off for the lobby.

---

Sonic, Amy, Tails, and Knuckles were already waiting for them in the lobby, all looking anxious.

"Well, here goes." Shadow muttered, and they set off for the chao doctor's office. They entered the kindergarten, and knocked on the office door.

"Come in." the chao doctor called. The seven piled in, Shadow in the lead. "Well, doctor?" he inquired, Pyro clutching his right hand.

"The records you provided matched my findings almost perfectly."

"What do you mean, 'almost'?"

"Your brainwaves have increased an infinitesimal amount since you were created," the chao doctor explained, "I have a theory as to why, but I want to run more tests to be sure."

"What's your theory?"

"I have two, actually," the doctor replied, "one is that perhaps this Dr. Eggman managed to altar your brainwaves ever-so-slightly, and would have succeeded in his intentions to make you a destructive force, if not for your bat friend turning the machine off when she did, and getting you out."

"And your other theory?" Shadow pressed.

"Well, I can't be sure, like I said, I need to run more tests to know which theory is correct, if either, but I believe that when you stopped ARK from crashing to Earth, some strange power changed you…advancing your evolution further than your creator ever anticipated."

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"My boy, I think you may be…indestructible."

"That can't be, I nearly died," Shadow protested, "I suspect I only survived because Eggman placed me in that capsule."

"Whether this invulnerability came before or after your sacrifice, I do not know," the chao doctor stated, "but with these tests, we'll soon find out."

"Okay, let's get started." Shadow replied, Pyro squeezing his hand even more tightly.

"Wait a minute," Sonic interjected, "even if it's true that he's indestructible, no matter how it happened, whether from his sacrifice or Eggman's plans, what will it all mean?"

"I assume, then," the doctor replied, a tone of surprise, " you have not heard of the prophecy?"

---

_Author's note: Yet another cliff-hanger, I know. Chapter 12 will reveal, to some extent, but chapter 13 will reveal on the prophecy, and more to come. I promise to get chapters up as much as I can. ___


	12. Chapter 12: New Revelation

**Chapter 12: New Revelation**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team.**

---

After the mention of the prophecy, the heroes were eager to hear more. The doctor told them that if his suspicions were right, he would tell them all that he knew about the prophecy.

"In the meantime, I need to run those tests on Shadow," he declared, "so the rest of you need to leave."

Pyro looked up at Shadow, beseeching him to let him stay, in chao language.

"Dear boy," the doctor admonished, "you've evolved and transformed a great deal since your very first hatching. You are mature enough to not need your _master_ every waking moment."

Pyro replied vehemently, his phoenix wings arcing, flames leaping off of him.

"My word! Such language," the chao doctor clucked his tongue reproachfully, "I will remind you that you are standing within a chao learning facility! And to say, 'It's not my business'. Your master is my patient. He needs to be treated. You'll only get under foot."

Pyro glared at him, then gazed up at Shadow. "Doctor," Shadow said quietly, "though I do not agree with Pyro's choice of wording, I think it's only fair that he be allowed to stay."

Pyro grinned at Shadow, clutching his hand again.

"If you insist," the doctor sighed wearily, "but to use such curse words…not polite at _all_…"

"Rouge rubbing off on you when she's in a bad mood?" Shadow whispered to Pyro, a sardonic grin on his face. He turned to the chao doctor, forcing an apologetic look on his face, "I'll make sure he behaves himself. I think he's only afraid I'll disappear again, after the ARK incident."

"No need to justify his behaviour," the doctor said dismissively, "now the rest of you, if you could check back in a few hours?"

"Sure thing." Sonic declared, grinning.

Rouge shot a mischievous grin at Shadow, whispering, "I heard that."

The rest of them filed out after Sonic and Rouge, the door closing gently behind them.

"Okay, let's begin."

---

The chao doctor scanned Shadow's brainwaves again, the results coming out with an increase of activity in the same region as last.

"Very interesting," he murmured, "but to be sure, we'll proceed to the next test."

He led Shadow to a chamber filled with a clear, gelatinous liquid. At the top, a breathing apparatus attached to a long tube hung over the edge, ladder rungs leading from the base of the chamber up.

"Once we fasten the oxygen mask, you'll need to immerse yourself in this tank," the doctor explained, "the liquid bears special properties that help read your vital signs, and scan all of your major organs for deformities or unusual functioning."

Shadow put the oxygen mask on, and climbed the rungs, slipping into the tank slowly. Pyro watched anxiously, gauging his master's reaction. The liquid wasn't unpleasant, but a tad colder than Shadow would have figured.

He sank down, allowing the fluid to swallow him up, a sort of lethargy taking over him, smiling at Pyro reassuringly.

"If you should feel the need to rest, you may do so. It will take some time for the computer to analyze all the data." The chao doctor's muffled voice said beside the tank. Shadow nodded in understanding, and slipped into sweet nothingness, Pyro's face the last thing he saw.

---

Shadow awoke surrounded by a pleasant warmth and softness. He blinked, light filtering in through a small, circular sky-light, Pyro at his side.

"Ah, you're awake," the chao doctor approached Shadow, a tray of food in his hands, "I've just finished analyzing the data from your immersion in the tank. I've found some peculiar patterns in your pulse rate, and in your over-all structure I think you'd like to see."

Shadow sat up, accepting the tray of food gratefully. He began eating a slice of bread with triangle fruit jam on it, and asked, "When you say peculiar, how do you mean?"

"It's unlike anything I've ever seen," the doctor replied enthusiastically, "with the speed your heart is pumping, you should have gone into cardiac arrest."

"Well, I feel fine." Shadow looked at Pyro, who smiled, relieved.

"That's exactly my point! At the pace your heart is going, you should be feeling some discomfort! And though his heart was erratically quick, even Sonic's didn't out-beat your own!"

"Is there anything else? You mentioned my 'over-all structure'?" Shadow persisted, his meal forgotten, Pyro nibbling at the uneaten fruit.

"Your blood is absolutely devoid of any ailments. Even the healthiest of creatures bears a dormant or weak virus, unknown to the carrier. And you have more antibodies than I've ever seen!"

Shadow gulped down the glass of water on his tray, and considered this information for a few moments.

"If you like, I can show you the results, and explain it to you more thoroughly." The doctor offered.

"Yes, I think that would be most helpful," Shadow agreed, "perhaps it will help us get to the bottom of this."

---

"You see this image right here?" the chao doctor pointed at a dense, dark area in Shadow's chest, above his heart.

"Yes, what is it?" Pyro peered around Shadow to get a better look.

"That's the thing; I'm not sure. It's not a tumour, or any other malignant illness, but it seems to be pulsing with some sort of energy."

"What is that silvery-white area starting at the base of my quills, and running behind my eyes and around it?" Shadow traced his finger over the x-ray image, following the light area from his head quills to the dark spot on his chest.

"I believe that is your soul, your very spirit essence," the doctor stated, "it seems to be feeding off of, and possibly giving power to, that dense area."

"Doctor," Shadow began hesitantly, "is it possible…if someone were to cut other people off…could part of their soul become…corrupt?"

"Are you referring to the density?" the doctor remarked, seeing the answer in Shadow's eyes before the hedgehog had even considered his answer. "Possibly…" he replied, averting his gaze, Pyro patting his arm sympathetically.

"My friend," the chao doctor chuckled, "whatever it is, it isn't a corrupted part of your soul. You are too pure for that to have happened."

"Then do you have any theories?" Shadow persisted, Pyro silently following their conversation.

"It's most likely the result of your sacrifice, whatever it is," the doctor declared, "perhaps, even, it is a creation of you letting go of your hate and anger."

"But, if it's something positive, why isn't it filled with light?"

"Perhaps it is so young, it needs time to grow, to mature. Maybe then, as it is nourished with the light from your soul, it will become one with it."

"You think my soul is feeding it?" Shadow sounded sceptical now.

"Partly. I also believe that your soul, too, is growing form its interaction with it. They complement one another," the doctor replied, "or so my theory goes."

"Well, do your findings tie in with the prophecy you mentioned before, or is this the work of Dr. Eggman?" Shadow inquired, suddenly anxious, Pyro now alert at his side.

"I'm relieve to say that my findings support the prophecy," the chao doctor beamed, "nothing sinister could be so pure."

"Then will you tell me all you know about the prophecy/"

"I will, of course. But, I'm afraid my knowledge is limited."

"That's fine, so long as you can give me something to go on."

"Of course, dear boy. And once I'm done, you can see the fortune-teller."

"The fortune-teller?"

"Yes, she resides in this kindergarten as well," the doctor explained, "she will be able to give you the final piece of the puzzle."

"Alright," Shadow stood, "Pyro and I will round up the others. They need to hear this as well."

The chao doctor nodded his understanding, Pyro and Shadow leaving the kindergarten, halting in the chao lobby.

Pyro said something inquisitive to Shadow, cocking his head.

"No, I didn't know about the fortune-teller," he answered, "should I have?"

"_Rouge had me named by her."_ Pyro replied in chao, shrugging.

"The fortune-teller picked your name?" Shadow asked, surprised.

Pyro replied with a sound of confirmation.

"Hmm. Must have foreseen your fiery spirit." Shadow remarked dryly.

Pyro blinked at him, then shook his head, amused. The two continued to the Dark Garden, the others eagerly awaiting them.

"Come on," Shadow declared, "there's something we all need to hear."

"Did the chao doctor tell you the prophecy?" Knuckles queried, everyone else looking expectantly at Shadow.

"Not yet, but I think there's even more to it than he lets on."

"Only one way to find out!" Sonic stated, and they all returned to the chao doctor's office, the story of the prophecy about to unfold.

---

_Author's note: Next chapter will be up shortly, with the conclusion to your questions. ;) Thank you to the select few who have reviewed, Shadow Blues and Da Fixer. _


	13. Chapter 13: The Prophecy Revealed

**Chapter 13: The Prophecy Revealed**

**Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Sega and Sonic Team.**

---

"I'm afraid my knowledge of the prophecy is very meagre, indeed." The chao doctor stated, everyone gathered around him expectantly.

"Never the less, perhaps you can give us the basics?" Shadow prompted, the others nodding their agreement.

"Very well," the doctor replied, "it is said that evil will infect the world, continent-by-continent, and a hero that has already once sacrificed himself will rise to the occasion again, much more than he once was.

"He will face foes beyond his wildest imaginings, and will suffer greatly for his cause. He will find temptation staring him in the face, and must rise above it, and do something, sacrifice something he wants, to bring peace and light back into the world, no matter the pain it causes him."

"Sounds like a reoccurrence of your last battle." Sonic murmured, thinking.

"Worse than that," the doctor stated, "but she would not tell me more."

"You refer to the fortune-teller?" Shadow asked.

"Yes. She wants you to go to her to find out the rest. She says, as the prophecy is about you, only you have the right to hear it in completion."

"What about us, then?" Amy sounded cross.

"I will inform all of you after I see the fortune-teller," Shadow promised, "if she wants me to see her alone, it may very well be the only way to persuade her to tell me the whole prophecy."

---

Shadow hesitated at the pinkish-purple door, watching as Sonic and the others left the kindergarten.

Gathering his courage, he raised his fist to knock, when a voice beckoned him from within. "Come in, Shadow the hedgehog." The fortune-teller's voice was light, mystical. She, like the chao doctor, spoke common.

Shadow opened the door, and walked into the small, dark room. Deep, dusky-rose curtains feel on either side of the round table, the chao fortune-teller sitting on the opposite side, gazing into her crystal ball.

"You've come to find out more about the prophecy." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Shadow sat down opposite her, perplexed. "Yes."

"The chao doctor merely gave you the basics, but not the details?" her heavily-lidded eyes gazed at Shadow, unnerving him.

"Yes, he said he didn't know all of it. Can you tell me more?" Shadow inquired.

The fortune-teller sat, motionless. The dim room seemed to grow darker, but her crystal ball began to glow.

"An evil presence will be unleashed upon the world, and will possess power unknown to all who stand against it; one though, will rival this evil power with his own pure light.

"He will gain power he had not, become stronger than he ever could imagine. The great evil will recognize his enemy as his equal, and will send powerful dark minions to do his bidding, in hopes that his foe will be destroyed, or held back long enough to allow him enslavement over the world. The chosen one will suffer blow after blow, nearly losing all that he fights for. Each dark minion poses a different threat; fear, temptation, deceit, doubt…and anything else the Great Evil will see as the Chosen's downfall."

The fortune-teller paused, her eyes fixated upon her crystal ball, her hands trembling. Shadow waited, his breathing ragged.

"The Chosen one, the pure hero, will suffer all of these, and more. He must vanquish each of them, in turn, and be faced with a difficult choice; a choice that could mean the difference between saving or condemning the world." The fortune-teller slumped back in her seat, the crystal ball's light fading.

Shadow's mind was filled with images, swirling like a black fog. He stood, feeling numb. It took him a moment to formulate a question, his mind reeling under all that he'd heard.

"This Great Evil, what is it? Who, or what, unleashes it?"

"I'm sorry, I know not," she replied wearily, "it is something you will learn, in due time."

Shadow thanked her, and left, pondering all the way to the Dark Garden.

---

Six pairs of eyes greeted him as he entered the Dark Garden, all filled with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

"Shadow?" Sonic approached him carefully, trying to find the answer to his unspoken question in the other's eyes.

"_Master, what did she say?"_ Pyro asked, his voice soft, filled with concern.

"Do not repeat this to any of the other chao," Shadow ordered, Pyro nodding in understanding, "ot's better they not be at risk as well."

"What do you mean, 'as well'?" Rouge inquired, her eyes level with his own.

"What I'm about to tell you will put you all in greater danger, I fear. But, because you already know the basic version of the prophecy, and because you've all stood up against evil before, I only feel it right to give you the whole story," Shadow explained, "it may better equip you for what we're up against." He proceeded to tell them, word-for-word, what the fortune-teller had said. Once he finished, he waited for the panic to hit.

As it turned out, he didn't have to wait long.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's that, 'nearly losing all that he fights for' part about?" Knuckles exclaimed.

"And these evil minions…who or what are they?" Amy piped up, her voice quavering.

"And this choice…the one that could mean the difference between salvation or destruction of the world?" Tails eyes were wide, fearful.

This went on for several minutes, a shrill whistle causing everyone to fall silent.

"Guys, slow down!" Sonic proclaimed.

"Look who's talking," Knuckles grumbled, "funny advice, coming from you."

Sonic ignored this, declaring, "With all the shouting all of you were doing, it's fortunate that all the other chao are at school right now!"

"He's right," Rouge conceded, "besides, I'm sure Shadow is worried enough as it is about this prophecy. Right, Shadow?" she turned to the black and red hedgehog, who seemed lost in thought.

"Um, Shadow? Are you alright?" Amy asked, clinging to Sonic, who looked mildly annoyed.

He nodded, unable to find his voice. Out of all the trials he knew he'd be facing, the only one that truly troubled him was the knowledge that everyone else would suffer alongside him, and nothing he could say or do would change that. They would willingly fight by his side, even knowing the risks. _But even if they didn't want to fight, they'd still be in danger._ He thought miserably, feeling that he had jeopardized their lives even more.

"Shadow, whatever happens, we'll be there to help you" Rouge said reassuringly, Shadow only feeling worse.

"That's right, buddy. That's what friends do for each other," Sonic declared, grinning, "it's what you did for all of us."

"I'll never back down from a fight!" Knuckles exclaimed, his eyes shining with determination.

"We're behind you all the way." Amy smiled, her Piko-Piko hammer suddenly in hand.

"I'm not very strong," Tails said solemnly, "but I promise, I'll put my mechanical skills to good use, and do the best I can."

"Everyone," Shadow's voice broke slightly, "I really appreciate this, but-"

"No 'but's," Knuckles said fiercely, "you nearly lost your life saving all of us. Now let us return the favour."

"Yeah, Knuckles is right! At least let us help you, Shadow," Sonic pleaded, "we'll be careful, we promise."

"But if anything were to happen to any of you, I could never forgive my-"

"Shadow, you said it yourself, we're in danger either way. We're armed with the knowledge, so we have the advantage," Rouge insisted, "we're going to help you, no matter what."

Shadow had been correct in the assumption that he wouldn't be able to change their minds; they would fight beside him, even if it meant their own lives.

"We've got something the Great Evil doesn't," Knuckles declared, "the power of friendship will be its downfall."

"What if that's not strong enough?" Shadow said, doubtful.

"You don't believe in us?" Sonic remarked wryly.

"It's not like that," Shadow replied, imploring, "what if _I'm_ not strong enough?"

"You are, and you will be," Knuckles stated, "besides myself and Sonic, I've never seen anyone use the chaos emeralds the way you have."

"And neither of us could harness the power like you did," Sonic added, "and Knuckles is the guardian over the Master Emerald!"

"He's right, Shadow," Knuckles conceded, "I can control all of them through the Master Emerald, but the way you and Sonic harnessed the power on ARK…well, it's never been done, not in the lifetime of my tribe, at any rate."

Shadow considered this information, and though some doubt still lingered in his heart, he could not, _would not_, let it control him.

"Alright, we've got a lot of work to do," Shadow finally agreed, "especially if we're to perfect the powers of the chaos emeralds."

Pyro smiled up at Shadow, and suggested something to him.

"I wonder," he murmured, then turned to Knuckles. "I need all the information your tribe has on the Master and chaos emeralds."

"Sure thing, I can contact my tribe's princess/historian," Knuckles said, "but what do you have in mind?"

"You'll see."

---

_Author's note: Yeah, sort of a cliff hanger as to what Shadow has in mind, but at least it answers the questions involving the prophecy. ^^; More will be up soon._


	14. Chapter 14:Enter Chaos Control

**Chapter 14: Enter Chaos Control**

**Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Sega and Sonic Team. Names of echidna clans and of certain clan members are mine, as is the historical part of the chapter. I do not claim these to be the actual events in the Sonic games, shows, or otherwise.**

---

Next to Knuckles, Tikal seemed very different, despite them being from the same echidna tribe. Knuckles wore modern footwear, special treasure-sensing sunglasses, and special digging tools upon his claws, whereas Tikal (who was not bright red, like Knuckles, but a peachy-orange colour) wore open-toed sandals, a tribal tiara upon her head, a long, plain dress, and bejewelled earrings and bracelets.

She was very earthy next to Knuckles' modern, technology-adapted self. But this didn't mean she was less intelligent or less helpful.

Being a princess, and being responsible for both reading and documenting her tribe's history and findings, she was eloquently spoken, and had a rather good memory.

"I'm glad you could make it," Knuckles greeted her, "I hope your trip went well."

"To a fault," she smiled, "I could have done with some excitement."

"Stick around long enough, and you'll probably get more than you bargained for." Rouge muttered under her breath.

This was not missed by Knuckles, who shot her a confused look; she seemed to be in a rather bad mood, all of a sudden.

Shadow shared the echidna's confusion, since he hadn't seen Rouge show any genuine interest in Knuckles, himself. _But then again_, Shadow mused, _between the goings-on with Dr. Eggman on ARK and the last few months, I've been busy with other matters._

He shook his head in amusement, listening to Rouge mutter incoherently as she left the chao lobby, setting out to pick Spiras and Luna up from school.

Knuckles was offering to take Tikal on a tour of the Hero Garden, where she would likely be staying, due to its tranquil atmosphere.

"When we're done, perhaps you can share your knowledge of the emeralds with Shadow?" Knuckles prompted, Tikal's gaze shifting to the dark hedgehog.

"Of course," she smiled brightly, "I know you can't tell me what this is all about, so don't worry, I won't press. I have some parchment with me that will tell you plenty about the emeralds and their powers."

"I would be most grateful if you could show me," Shadow bowed courteously, "but, there's no rush. I hope you enjoy your stay."

Tikal smiled again, and Knuckles led her up the spiralling staircase, stating, "You'll like the Hero chao. Especially Venus, she's partial to me, that one, and very intelligent…"

Shadow turned his attention on to the entrance of the Neutral Garden, where Amy was currently looking after the neutral chao, whom had been looked after by both heroes and the "dark side" alike before and after the ARK incident.

_Of course, when we were enemies, neither side knew the other was looking after them as well. It sure explained why the chao turned out neither Hero nor Dark. _Shadow smiled wryly, shaking his head. He headed to the Dark Garden, having nothing else of importance to do.

---

Pyro greeted him enthusiastically, Spike and Charlie bowing respectfully upon his arrival.

Shadow greeted them in turn, chuckling as Pyro flew into his arms, chatting quickly.

"Slow down, Pyro," Shadow laughed, "just because I understand your language, doesn't mean I can follow it at mach three.!"

The dark chao rolled his eyes, then proceeded slower this time.

"No, she just got here. I told her there was no hurry. No sense in rushing her the first day she's here. Besides," he continued, "she assured me that she has the information and will discuss the emeralds with me soon."

Pyro, satisfied with this answer, flew over to the blood-red pool, and decided to take a dip. Spike and Charlie giggled further off, chasing the garden ball. Shadow smiled, and decided to leave, just as Rouge came in with Spiras and Luna. The two chao greeted Shadow in passing, Rouge nodding curtly.

"Something wrong, batgirl?" Shadow tried for light-hearted teasing, receiving a scowl for his efforts. "Sorry…" he said quickly, Rouge's look softening.

"It's not your fault," Rouge sighed, "I just thought…I don't know…" she trailed off, Shadow beginning to understand.

"Rouge, you care for Knuckles." It was more a statement than a question.

"Well, no point denying it," she said wearily, "he and I have had…_moments_."

"Until today, I was unaware." Shadow replied, somewhat apologetically.

"Well, we all had our own missions during the revival of ARK, so it's understandable that you didn't notice," she shrugged, "and even though those days are done, we've all been so busy, so there wasn't much for you to notice."

"You're worried that he and Tikal have something, then?" he inquired, watching Rouge fiddle with her treasure scope absently.

"Well…"

"I don't think you have anything to worry about," he assured her, "they're from the same tribe. For all you know, they're more like siblings or childhood friends."

"You think so?" Rouge asked, a hint of hopefulness in her voice.

"I can't say for certain," Shadow shook his head, "but I will say this. Talk to Knuckles, and you _will_ know for sure."

Rouge grinned, her fangs gleaming, her gaze softening. "Thanks, Shadow. You're right. I'll just talk to Knuckles. Besides, there are more important things going on."

Shadow turned to leave, when a force hurled into him, sending him flat on his back. With a groan, he looked up, Tails sprawled in front of him, panting.

---

"I'm so sorry, Shadow," Tails cried, standing quickly, offering the black hedgehog a hand, "I came to find you, I-I didn't know who else to tell…" the fox broke into tears, trembling, Rouge patting him on the back comfortingly.

Shadow exchanged a bemused look with her, then turned back to Tails. "It's alright, Tails, but what's wrong?" he was alert now, awaiting the fox boy's reply.

"Amy…it's got Amy…"

Rouge let out a gasp, Shadow staring fixedly at the fox, who was still panting.

"Who, Tails? Who's got her?"

"I-I don't know. It moved like the shadows, it was like black liquid...and when it formed, it looked like…I don't even know…Amy was in the garden with the chao, they panicked, it got her…and she was gone…like that…" Tails trailed off, tears flowing freely from his eyes.

"Let's go." Shadow commanded, he and Rouge followed as Tails led the way.

---

Upon entering the garden, Shadow knew all was not well. The Neutral chao were all huddled together, trembling and crying. The eldest one, Echo, was trying to comfort the others, but was shaking himself.

Rouge and Tails approached them, whispering soothingly to the little group. Shadow closed his eyes, focusing on the atmosphere of the garden.

_There_, he thought, feeling a cold darkness on the left side of the waterfall cave_, it was right here._

He approached the rocky outcrop, his hand outstretched over the surface, his fingers tingling. "We have to inform the others." He declared, Rouge and Tails exchanging worried glances.

"What about the chao?" Tails asked, his eyes wide with terror.

"We have to evacuate them," Shadow answered, "the gardens are no longer safe."

---

"I'm sorry, Sonic." Shadow said morosely,. The blue hedgehog had just returned from a reconnaissance mission, in which he was to scope out any of Dr. Eggman's previous haunts, in search of clues. He now stood rigidly, his mind drinking in all he'd been told about Amy's disappearance.

"It's not your fault," he stated, "we'll get her back."

"We'd better start evacuating the chao," Knuckles suggested, "we can warp them somewhere safe, until this all blows over."

"Pyro refuses to go," Shadow stated, "he says he wants to fight."

"I say if any of them want to, why refuse their help?" Rouge asked. Everyone stared at her, aghast. "I'm not suggesting we _use_ them," she declared, exasperated, "but most of them are mature enough to decide for themselves, and between Pyro and Venus alone, they can do some pretty impressive magic."

"She may be right," Tikal offered, "chao are creatures born of the clash between order and chaos. They exude a tremendous amount of power, varying from the gifts animals give them to the skills they gain from the chaos drives and certain fruits."

Shadow, who had looked unconvinced for the duration of this particular conversation, gasped. "Pyro has the gift of the phoenix." He breathed.

"Phoenixes grant great power," Knuckles mused, " and he _is_ in his fifth incarnation, and at his full potential…"

"Venus isn't nearly as old," Sonic rubbed his chin, "but she's at her full potential for her first life, and she also has phoenix parts."

"This is no coincidence," Shadow interjected, "perhaps the balance of Hero and Dark chao with extraordinary gifts can aid us, somehow."

"Come with me," Tikal said suddenly, "I think I know what you must do."

---

Tikal led Shadow into the Hero Garden, and unfolded a piece of paper, holding it out to him. His eyes roved over it, reading it silently.

In 365 B.M.E. (Before Master Emerald), many things were born and created out of the clash between chaos and order. The echidna clans, Tantra, Magisi, and Deneidra began studying the first creatures born of the clash, studying their evolution. The creatures would mature, and after a few years, die, only to manifest into an egg once again, and be reborn, stronger than before. These creatures came to be called chao, and through many studies, the clans realized that certain fruits, along with gifts from other animals, helped to increase their powers, some being well-rounded in their abilities, others being leaders in certain groupings. The four groups were power, fly, swim, and run-types.

_All four differed slightly in appearance, due to their primary ability, but still exuded the other skills necessary for survival. Eventually, these creatures developed a hierarchy, the well-rounded ones usually at the top of the hierarchy ladder, though there were exceptions._

_Upon further study, the leader of the Tantra clan followed the chao to their cave, finding seven differently coloured emeralds in the cavern walls. Once striking a bargain with the chao leaders, the clan leader, Benida, removed the seven emeralds. They were perfectly formed, and exuded tremendous power. They were tle clan's second discovery of things borne from order and chaos…_

Shadow stopped reading, and turned to Tikal, "The chao once lived on your home, Angel Island, along with the chaos emeralds?"

"Yes," Tikal nodded, "but there is more, so much more."

"We'll need help, poring over all this information," Shadow murmured, seeing the other stacks of parchment, "if we're to defeat the Great Evil…"

"We'll lend you a hand." Came Sonic's voice. He stood in the entrance, grinning, everyone else behind him.

"The Great Evil?" Tikal echoed, bewildered.

"I may as well let you in on it, now," Shadow confessed, "after all, you hold the keys to us defeating it."

"Let's get started," Knuckles declared, "Tikal, we've got a dangerous mission ahead of us. Do you accept your part in this?"

Tikal nodded. "Of course. Our clan was one of the ones to discover the balance between chaos and order, and those borne from it."

"Okay, then," Shadow began, "it starts with this prophecy…"

---

Once Shadow had brought Tikal up to speed about the prophecy, the six of them split up, looking over the papers Tikal had provided.

Tails and Rouge pored over a stack going into lengthy detail about the different animals that would bestow gifts upon the chao, and what their properties were. Knuckles examined the workings of the chaos emeralds, and how their power could manifest itself. Sonic rifled through a stack that went into further detail on more of the things borne from order and chaos' clashing.

Tikal discussed all she knew about the clans that had discovered the chao and the emeralds, with Shadow. "Deneidra, Tantra, and Magisi were the top three clans of the echidna tribe. Deneidra is the clan that both Knuckles and I belong to."

Shadow nodded, listening to Tikal careful as she went on.

"The three clans joined together to form a tribe, one that would function well together. The Deneidra clan are the tribe warriors. The Tantra clan are the hunter-gatherers, and the Magisi clan focus on our spiritual way of life."

"But then if both you and Knuckles are from the warrior clan, how is it he also possesses the arts to unify the chaos emeralds, and you, the princess and historian, also possess the attributes of the Magisi clan?" Shadow inquired.

"As time has worn on, clan members have spread out, taking on the roles of other clan members. The tribe started with three clans joining together, and taking up specific tasks. But now, even a Magisi can look into the roles of a Deneidra, if they so choose," Tikal explained, "not to mention since they originally joined, many a Magisi clan member has married either a Deneidra or Tantra, as those two clans have also mingled in such a way."

"So you're saying no one's purely one or the other anymore?"

"Correct. Not for five-hundred years has the tribe been divided into three clans," Tikal confirmed, "I can trace my lineage back to the beginning of the Deneidra, so I know my roots are strongest there. However, my 'tree', so to speak, grows more from the Magisi. Knuckles is more Deneidra than I am, but has a few Tantra and Magisi ancestors as well."

"And all three clans studied the chao and chaos emeralds?"

"Yes, though once they began tampering with the chaos emeralds, bad things began to happen."

"How did they overcome all of it? Does this have to do with the Master Emerald?" Shadow asked, catching on.

Tikal nodded, "After the chaos emeralds began wreaking havoc, the clan leaders got together, and discussed what they needed to do to right the problem. The Tantra leader, Benida, stated that it was only upon removing the emeralds that chaos had been unleashed.

"Figuring something within the cave where they were found was responsible for nullifying their chaotic powers, he journeyed back to the cave. He searched deep in the cavern for many hours, and finally found-"

"-The Master Emerlad," Shadow finished for her, "by unifying the chaos, it neutralizes their powers."

"Hey, listen to this!" Rouge shouted, waving a page in Shadow and Tikal's direction, "According to this, out of all the animals to bestow gifts upon the chao, the phoenix is the only one who bestows the gift of longevity, and of eternal rebirth!"

"But the chao already have the gift of rebirth," Shadow argued, "what can the phoenix do for them that they cannot do for themselves?"

"No, she's right," Tikal shook her head, "a chao can be reborn quite a few times, but not for eternity. A phoenix, however, never truly dies."

"There's more," Tails added, "a chao who has been given all of the phoenix's special gifts gains power unlike any other chao's abilities."

"Meaning?" Shadow prompted.

"The true power of Chaos control."

---

Author's note: Long chapter…at least, it felt that way. I hope you like it. I promise more will come, and later on in the story, there will be more about the tribe's history, and such.


	15. Chapter 15: The Day of Reckoning

**Chapter 15: The Day of Reckoning Approaches**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team.**

--

"This is it," Shadow proclaimed, "we've got a good start. We need to evacuate all the chao, except for Venus and Pyro."

"And we need to find Amy," Tails added, "I just hope she's alright."

"We'll get her back, don't worry," Sonic reassured, "but how are we going to take the Great Evil on, when we don't know where it is?"

Without knowing how he knew the answer, Shadow confirmed, "It'll come to us, in three days' time."

"You sure?" Knuckles sounded perplexed.

"I'm not sure how I know, but I am certain of it. I can just…_feel_ its presence."

"We'd better start the chao evacuation, then, and prepare for the fight."

---

"Well that's the last of them," Rouge said sadly, "I told them when this all over, they can return to the chaos gardens…whether we're here or not."

"If we fail, there probably won't be a garden for them to return to." Knuckles pointed out.

"In that case, they know to stay away, and live their lives out in the forests," Sonic said solemnly, "they'll be able to sense if the evil remains or not."

"Pyro filled Venus in on the prophecy as well," Rogue mentioned, "so she knows what we're up against."

"And we both know about the echidna tribe's research, and everything that came of it," Pyro interjected, "including about the phoenix abilities."

They all stood in the Dark Garden, which was eerily quiet, since Luna, Charlie, Spike, and Spiras departed. Venus had come to the garden, as the Hero Garden was empty, thus devoid of company. She wasn't fond of the setting, and felt it necessary to say so.

She chattered anxiously, pointing at the blood-red water, the large, dead trees, and the various tomb stones.

"What's she saying?" Tails asked, exasperated. He was the only one who still didn't understand chao language.

"She says she'll never be able to sleep in a place like this. It reminds her of the worst nightmare she's ever had, what with the blood-coloured pool, the dead trees that still bear fruit, the graves…" Knuckles explained, smirking.

Pyro scoffed, replying with something indignant.

"He says he refuses to enter the Hero Garden," Shadow translated, seeing the bemused fox's annoyed expression, "it's too clean, perfect, and bright for him."

Venus snapped, sounding angry.

Pyro replied just as vehemently, the two dangerously close to one another, their fists raised.

Knuckles and Shadow exchanged glances, both looking half-amused, half-worried.

"Shall we?" Shadow offered.

"After you." Knuckles chuckled.

Both grabbed onto their charges, admonishing them.

"What was _that_ all about?" Tails snapped, agitated.

"Venus said the only reason Pyro couldn't set foot in the Hero Garden is because he's an evil, hell-spawned child," Rouge explained, a wry grin on her face, "and Pyro told her that just because he's a dark chao, doesn't make him evil, that he's simply the way night is to day…well, amongst other rude, derogatory things." She confessed, laughing.

"I really need to make a chao translator." Tails grumbled, Rouge laughing still.

"Perhaps if they went into the Neutral Garden, then?" Sonic suggested, looking at the two chao meaningfully.

Both considered this, and nodded.

"Then it's settled," Sonic declared, "in the mean time, we need to prepare ourselves. Let's begin!"

---

Three hours had passed since they'd made their decision, the group gathered in the Neutral Garden. Tikal was helping Tails program his chao-translator, Sonic and Rouge talking quietly near the pond, the waterfall bubbling softly behind them.

Shadow and Knuckles stood further back, the Master Emerald between them, the seven chaos emeralds encircling them.

Venus and Pyro stood on either side of their masters. All of them were preparing to work on Chaos Control. "Once I use the incantation, the rest is up to you, and you alone. Not even Sonic can do this with you, not like last time. I'll unify the chaos emeralds' power with the Master Emerald," Knuckles explained, "and you need to master Chaos Control, and any other abilities you can get out of them."

"And Venus and Pyro?"

"Once the incantation is done, they need to stand in the centre of the emeralds with you. Once you unleash the power of Chaos Control, their powers will be realized, and balance is suppose to reign."

"What exactly will happen?" Shadow asked worriedly.

"The records didn't say," Knuckles replied apologetically, "and since the echidna tribe has no record of the prophecy, we don't know what this will do against the Great Evil."

"No matter," Shadow shook his head, "it's all we've got. If all else fails, we'll have to use other attack methods."

"Whatever happens, we've got to use everything in our arsenal," Rouge came up behind them, "every fight technique, every powerful attack at our disposal has to be initiated."

"Chaos Control is our key," Sonic added, joining them, "it'll be the finishing blow."

"And with it, let us pray that the prophecy is fulfilled." Tikal stated.

_But, at what cost?_ Shadow pondered. He had not forgotten a word of the prophecy, in particular, the last part.

"The chosen one, the pure hero, will face all of these, and more. He must vanquish each of them in turn, and be faced with a difficult choice; a choice that could mean the difference between saving or condemning the world."

The difficult choice, according to the chao doctor, was a sacrifice he must make, no matter the pain it caused him. Would that sacrifice be the lives of his comrades? To save millions, would he have to condemn a few, in their place? The thoughts plagued him, but he could not allow fear and doubt cloud his mind.

"Come on, Knuckles," he said after a moment, "we've got a long way to go."

---

"The servers are the seven chaos," Knuckles murmured, the Master Emerald glowing brightly, "chaos is power; power is enriched by the heart…"

The seven chaos emeralds rose, and slowly began to revolve around the Master Emerald. Shadow stood, his hand outstretched, concentrating on the meaning behind Knuckles' words.

"Only you can do this, Oh Master Emerald. Lend the soul before you your true power, I beseech you!"

Shadow knew his part off by heart now; several hours had passed with him and Knuckles working together. "Unify the powers of Chaos with the powers of Order! Merge the powers of dark and light, and bring them under my control! I command you now," Shadow shouted, his eyes fierce with determination, "unleash the true powers of Chaos Control!"

The chaos emeralds spun faster and faster, their individual colours blurring, and becoming one, bright light, flowing toward the Master Emerald, which revolved above them, on the spot.

Venus and Pyro flew up to the Master Emerald, the powerful light washing over them.

In a blinding flash, Shadow became Hyper-Shadow, the two chao undergoing a similar transformation. They glowed with intense light, their phoenix parts larger, more vibrant. Their wings doubled in size, their phoenix crests flowing longer, further down their heads to the back of their necks. Their tails, too, were longer, dragging on the ground though they were still air borne, their talons gleaming dangerously. The regular parts of their bodies remained the same, though they shone with intense light.

"Now, you two! Use your true power!" Shadow ordered, bracing himself.

The two chao hesitated, unwilling to attack Shadow, even for the sake of practice.

"Not again…" Knuckles groaned.

"Please," Shadow begged, "I've gone through worse, and survived! You've got to do it. If you don't, we'll never know what potential lies within you!"

Pyro shook his head ruefully, Venus verbally declaring that they would not attack him.

The power left them then,; Shadow, Pyro and Venus returning to their regular forms, the chaos emeralds and the Master Emerald laying at their feet, Knuckles sinking to the ground with exhaustion.

Shadow too, felt fatigue washing over him, and saw that Pyro and Venus had fallen asleep instantly, side-by-side. 'There's no more we can do," he murmured, "the emeralds power is depleted for now, as is ours."

"What are we going to do?" Rouge whispered, looking worried.

"There are only two days left," Tail's voice quavered, "what if they're not ready?"

"There's nothing more that can be done," Shadow repeated, "perhaps when it begins, Venus and Pyro will be better motivated to attack."

"At least then you won't be the target," Sonic added, "I'm sure they'll be more willing, then."

"Let us hope," Shadow declared, "that you're right."

"Hang in there, Amy." He heard Sonic whisper, as they all settled down for the night. Guilt washed over him, and he admonished himself for losing sigh of the fact that someone who needed their help was in danger at this very moment, and they hadn't gone to find her.

"I promise you," Shadow murmured, "revenge." And he drifted off into a troubled sleep.

---

Author's note: I hope this chapter is satisfactory. Next one will be up in no less than a day or two.


	16. Chapter 16: Concentrated Evil

**Chapter 16: Concentrated Evil**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team.**

_Author's note: I apologize for not posting this earlier; I got a bit busy, there. ^^;_

---

"_Sonic, Shadow! Help me!" Amy's hand was outstretched as she ran towards them._

"_Amy!" Sonic cried, running to meet her. But something was wrong; his movements were slow, like he was trying to run under water. Suddenly, a dark vortex appeared, and swallowed both Sonic and Amy, their screams echoing in Shadow's ears._

"_No!" he bellowed, running toward the vortex. Suddenly, Knuckles, Tails and Rouge appeared. "Get away from it! Get away from the vortex!" Shadow shouted, but they didn't seem to hear him. They stood in front of the vortex, their backs to him. They walked forward, as if in a trance. "No! Come back, come back!" Shadow begged, trying to run toward them. But, his movements, like Sonic's, were slow. The vortex engulfed the three of them, and grew larger and larger…_

Shadow awoke form the screaming, perspiration on the back of his neck. It took him several seconds to realize he'd been dreaming, and a few more to realize that the screaming was still going.

"Shadow! Shadow, it's here!" Rouge shouted, grabbing his hand, and hauling him to his feet.

Shadow looked around frantically, his eyes falling on the others, who all looked terrified. Tails was holding Venus and Pyro tightly, Knuckles shielding Tikal.

"Where's Sonic?" Shadow demanded, his eyes resting on a large, dark creature that loomed over his friends. It blended in with the night, its surroundings hiding it well.

"He's gone…" Rogue choked, "a vortex appeared before t-that monster…and then Sonic was…g-gone…"

Shadow took a sharp intake of air, his mind reeling. _Just like in that dream, _he thought angrily, _I've got to stop it. I won't let anyone else get hurt…I can't_. He gritted his teeth, and rushed off, putting himself between the monster and his friends. "I'm the one you want to fight," he snarled, "leave them out of this!"

The distorted shape of the evil creature snickered, and moved closer.

"Knuckles," Shadow shouted, "throw me a chaos emerald!"

The echidna didn't need telling twice; he threw one of the emeralds' to Shadow, who dashed at the creature with the jewel in hand. He focused his will on what he intended to do, and shouted, "Chaos control!"

Time seemed to slow down as he warped quickly. He slammed into the beast, knocking it into the rocky outcrop by the chao garden pool.

It couldn't react quickly enough, though it tried. It shot out what must have been its arm, stretching, attempting to strike the black and red hedgehog.

Shadow somersaulted out of its way long before it struck, its arm shattering part of the boulders at Shadow's right. The chaos control ended, time reverting back to its normal pace. The creature growled menacingly, launching itself at Shadow, the two tumbling into the pool.

Shadow fought for air, the creature surprisingly heavy despite being made up of some strange, liquid-like matter. Bubbles escaped Shadow's mouth as he fought against the creatures' limbs that were now binding him tightly. Just as he thought he'd drown, the weight was suddenly gone.

He shot to the surface, choking and gasping for air. He wiped the water from his eyes, and looked around for his foe.

Rouge was standing over its limp form, panting. Her white fur was damp, water dripping from her ears.

"Rouge…" Shadow said tentatively, climbing out of the pool.

She looked up, her glare softening into an affection gaze, "I couldn't let it…" she trailed off, not wanting to say the words.

"Thank you." He murmured.

The limp form began to bubble, then began to vanish. Rouge jumped back, startled.

"YOU WHO STAND AGAINST MY LORD, YOU WHO POSES A THREAT TO HIM," a voice boomed, coming from where the body was disappearing, "YOU WILL SUFFER THE LIKES OF WHICH YOU'VE NEVER IMAGINED. THE MASTER OF DARKNESS HAS AWAKENED, AND YOU WILL LOSE ALL YOU CARE FOR! YOU ARE NOW MARKED, AND WILL SOON ONLY KNOW DESPAIR!" the voice echoed, and finally stopped. The body had vanished, a black mark burned into the ground.

Knuckles, Tails, Venus, and Pyro approached warily, Tikal letting out a gasp, pointing at the spot.

"What? What's wrong?" Shadow asked sharply. He took a closer look at the mark, seeing a strange rune-like symbol.

"It says the agent of fear is coming."

"If the agent of fear is coming," Knuckles began, his voice flat, "who was that?"

"I can only assume a henchman of the Great Evil, one who is without a title." Tikal offered, visibly shaken.

"Then we must prepare ourselves," Shadow declared, "for the sake of Amy and Sonic."

--

Thanks to Tikal's help, Tails no longer needed anyone to translate what the two remaining chao were saying when they spoke. This however, came as a small comfort to all, in light of the recent events.

Two days had passed since the Great Evil's henchman had been destroyed, leaving his warning to them. In that time, Knuckles and Shadow had continued practicing with the chaos emeralds, the incantations perfected, and Pyro and Venus still unwilling to attack Shadow in their hyper forms.

When they weren't working with the emeralds, Knuckles practiced sparring with Rouge, the two spending more and more time together. Tails was listless, missing Sonic and Amy's presence. Tikal spent a lot of time flipping through the tribe's records, searching for anything that could help them in their task.

After a particularly difficult session with Knuckles, Shadow sought Tails out. The fox was sitting beneath a tree, his eyes staring, unblinking, at the blades of grass he was absently running through his fingers. "Miles?" Shadow used the fox-boy's first name, his voice barely a whisper. The fox looked up, startled. Shadow crouched in front of him, looking at him in concern.

"Yes?" the fox replied sullenly, sadness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Shadow murmured, "about Sonic and Amy."

Tails shook his head. "Don't." he pleaded, his voice nearly inaudible.

"We'll get them back, Tails. I promise."

"What if…what if they're…they're…dead…" he choked on the last word, sobbing.

Shadow put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I know they're not. I can feel them." He promised.

"How can you be sure?" the boy croaked, his ears pinned back, drooping.

"Tails, I swear to you, they are still alive." Shadow said, gripping the fox's shoulders tightly.

Tails averted his gaze, tears spilling freely from his large blue eyes.

"Tails," Shadow said softly, "Tails, look at me…"

The fox shut his eyes tightly, his breathing coming in ragged gasps.

"Miles Tails Prower, look at me!" Shadow commanded, sharply this time.

The fox looked up, trembling. Shadow pulled him into a hug, whispering, "I swear to you, I will bring them back. No matter what it takes…"

Tails sniffed, and nodded. He swiped at his eyes fiercely, Shadow standing, and walking away. He knew the young fox needed to be alone. _Hang in there, Sonic. I'll get you and Amy back, and soon._

---

Shadow awoke suddenly, gasping. He looked around, bewildered. The garden was pitch black, and it took a few minutes for his vision to adjust. A few feet from him, he could see Venus and Pyro, sound asleep, curled up next to one another. A few more feet passed them, Knuckles lay, his chest rising and falling rhythmically with his breathing. Rouge's hand was in his, the white bat laying curled up on her side.

Shadow turned his head to his left, and saw Tikal, lying on her stomach, her breathing shallow. Tails was even further passed her, sleeping by a boulder, whimpering in his sleep.

Shadow didn't know what had awoken him right away, but began to feel a dark presence. He could almost smell it; a sour, sickening smell-like decay. _It must have disturbed me when it arrived._ He mused, getting to his feet.

Tails' whimpering grew louder, turning into screams. Shadow rushed toward him, the other occupants of the garden waking up, bewildered. He held his hand above the fox, concentrating. He began to mutter an incantation, "By the powers of order and chaos, dark and light, matter and anti-matter, I command you, be gone!"

Dark mist began to rise off of Tails, swirling towards Shadow's outstretched hand. Shadow's eyes narrowed, and with a sudden jolt, the mist flew into him, causing him to double over. He staggered, and fell to his knees, gasping. Then, it all went black.

---

He was running, panting, down a dimly lit corridor on ARK. His hand gripped someone else's, a girl with chin-length blonde hair, and blue eyes. Those eyes…they were full of fear…the girl…he knew her…

"_Maria!" he gasped, the two of them running into the central control room._

"_Shadow," she cried softly, "you must go to Earth,, you must…" she gasped with pain, stumbling toward the controls._

_Shadow didn't understand; why was this happening again? Maria was already dead, wasn't she? He couldn't go through the painful memory again…he just couldn't. Pain and fear washed over him._

"_No," he begged, his voice cracking, "don't make me relive this memory…"_

_Maria shut him within the escape capsule, begging him to help the people of Earth._

"_No, Maria!" his anguished cry rang clear, tears in his eyes. He watched as she sank into oblivion, hitting the jettison button, her last words echoing through his mind._

"_Sayonara, Shadow the hedgehog."_

_Shadow shut his eyes tight, shaking his head feverishly. "No, I know what this is! I know what you are!" he shouted, his fists clenched at his sides. The images around him wavered, like a mirage. He knew where he really was; he was trapped within his own mind, and the agent of fear was casting this illusion, haunting him with his memories._

"_I know I'm not on ARK," he said aloud, "I know I'm in the chao garden, lying on the ground!"_

_He summoned his power, knowing where the chaos emeralds were. "Chaos control!" he bellowed._

_---_

His eyes flew open, and he sat up, gasping. His eyes travelled to where Knuckles stood, his palms over the Master Emerald, the chaos emeralds shining around it. Venus and Pyro stood in the centre, determination upon their faces.

Tikal, Rouge, and Tails stood off to the side, the two women holding the fox closely, his eyes wide with fear.

Shadow joined Knuckles and the two chao, the dark mist rising in front of them.

"I've already said the incantation," Knuckles said hoarsely, "now, it's up to you."

"I command you, emeralds, unleash the true power of chaos control!" the chaos emeralds swirled, creating a blinding light that shone upon the Master Emerald. Shadow, Pyro, and Venus began to transform, Shadow becoming Hyper-Shadow, the two chao shining, glowing, their phoenix parts larger, fuller.

The three charged at the black mist, Shadow bellowing, "Chaos control!" The two chao closed their eyes, joining hands. They began to glow, fire emitting from around them. They parted suddenly, shouting something that was in neither chao dialect, nor common, and a beam of pure light burst from them, shimmering gold. It spread through the mist, incinerating it, an agonized cry echoing through the garden.

The light faded, the two chao no longer in hyper-mode, falling toward the ground. Shadow swooped down, catching them. His hyper form diminished. The chaos emeralds fell to the grass, their power spent for the time being.

It's gone." Knuckles murmured, looking fatigued. Another black mark was scorched into the earth, Tikal translating it for them.

"The agent of doubt descends upon you."

--

_Author's note: I hope this chapter was satisfactory in both action and plot. More will come soon._


	17. Chapter 17: A Heart Full of Doubt

**Chapter 17: A Heart Full of Doubt**

**Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Sega and Sonic Team.**

--

"This is ridiculous!" Knuckles roared, punching a boulder in anger. Slabs of rock chipped off, clattering to the ground. Several days had passed, and the echidna was growing agitated. "Even knowing what we're about to face," he ranted, "we still can't keep it from taking a hold of us!"

"And with the next one being the agent of doubt, it's going to be tougher to maintain a sense of morale." Rouge said worriedly, her arms wrapped tightly around her.

"We've still got the upper hand," Shadow murmured, "so long as I can detect them when they manifest, we'll be fine."

"Easy for you to say," Knuckles growled, "Sonic and Amy are gone, and we don't know how to get them back! And here you are, spouting optimism!"

Everyone looked at Knuckles, bemused. Shadow eyed him warily, unable to retort. He was already consumed with guilt, unable to help the blue and pink hedgehogs.

"Knuckles, that's not fair." Rouge said quietly, studying the echidna intently.

"Don't talk to me about fair!" he bellowed, Rouge taken aback.

"Knuckles, you mustn't act like this," Tikal pleaded, her voice soft, "hope is our greatest defence against doubt."

Knuckles let out an exasperated sigh, and stalked out of the garden, everyone watching apprehensively as he left. After a moment, Rouge turned on her heel, and headed to the outcrop of rocks, sitting atop one of them. She pulled her knees up, her head resting in them, shaking with silent sobs. Tikal and the two chao went to comfort her, Tails remaining immobile. Shadow felt stung, unable to do anything.

"It's not your fault." Tails murmured, then walked away, seeing if he could comfort Rouge as well.

Shadow felt a mix of emotions bubbling within him. He was angry at himself, angry at Knuckles' negative attitude, feeling remorse for Sonic and Amy, scared for his remaining friends; determination, too, swelled within him, and he suddenly understood what he must do. He ran out of the garden without a backward glance, catching up with Knuckles in the lobby, sensing the darkness taking hold.

--

The red echidna was just about to get onto the teleporter when he was tackled to the floor. "What the…?" he said, bewildered, then spat, "it's you!" He threw a punch at Shadow, the blow hitting the hedgehog in the cheek.

Shadow staggered, then charged again, pinning Knuckles' arms down at his sides. "Listen to what I have to say!" he hissed, the echidna struggling fiercely.

"You've forgotten all about them," Knuckles growled, "because of you, Sonic and Amy are probably dead!"

"They're not dead!" Shadow roared in response. He threw his full weight on the echidna, commanding, "Hold still!"

"Get off of me!" Knuckles tried to punch Shadow again, the hedgehog catching hold of his fist, gripping it tightly. Growing impatient, he pulled his own arm back, and punched the echidna in the eye. Knuckles groaned, losing some of his hostility to the pain.

"Now please listen," Shadow implored, "stop fighting me…I know what's happening, I know why you're acting this way…"

Knuckles let out a growl, wrenching his fist out of Shadow's grip. He threw Shadow off of him, then attacked, pummelling every inch of the black hedgehog that he could. Then, pulling his arm back far, he swung forward fast, his fist connecting with Shadow's skull, sending him flying.

Shadow groaned, dazed. Blood trickled from beside his left ear, his vision blurring.

"Shadow," Rouge cried, coming out of the chao garden, "Take this!" She threw one of the chaos emeralds to him, Shadow staggering, but still managing to catch it.

"Chaos control!" He warped, catching the echidna off-guard. He swung out his leg, round housing him in the midsection. Knuckles barely had time to react, Shadow bringing his fist upon his head.

Knuckles fell with a groan, chaos control ending. Shadow stood over the echidna, his hand above him. "Show yourself, agent of doubt!" he commanded.

A dark form rose out of Knuckles, the echidna shrinking away from it in fear. Rouge rushed to his side, pulling him away from it.

"This ends here!" Shadow declared. The emerald within his hand began to glow, filling Shadow up with light. "Say goodbye, agent of evil!" From Shadow the light multiplied in intensity, and a beam struck the agent of doubt, its dark form disintegrating before his eyes.

--

No scorch mark appeared this time; there was no indication of who their next rival would be.

Tails, Tikal, and the two chao stood between the entrance to the chao garden and the lobby, all gaping in shock. Knuckles was kneeling on the ground, looking dazed. Rouge crouched beside him, her hand on his shoulder. Shadow stood there, breathing hard, feeling exhausted. Pain shot through the various spots where the echidna's fists had connected. He let out a gasp of pain, his hand holding his face.

"S-Shadow," Knuckles croaked, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to attack you, I lost control…"

Shadow held up a hand, stopping him. He winced form the pain, his dark eyes locking with the echidna's violet ones. "There's nothing to explain," he gasped, "don't…apologize…"

"Please," Knuckles begged, his voice cracking, "let me get it off my chest…"

The pain was incredible, bringing Shadow to his knees. He couldn't even protest as Knuckles continued on, his voice filled with remorse.

"It's all my fault, I let the doubt into my heart. I knew what was coming, yet I couldn't help thinking about us failing, of not getting Sonic and Amy back…Shadow, I'm really sorry," Knuckles voice quavered, tears in his eyes, "please, forgive me. I was weak…"

Shadow lifted his head to the best of his ability, pain nearly blinding him. "It's not…your fault…it could have…happened…to anyone of us," he panted, "you're forgiven…" he collapsed then, Rogue calling his name, panicked. Sweet oblivion washed over him, his pain forgotten.

--

When Shadow awoke, he was back in the chao garden, Tikal kneeling over him with a damp cloth in hand, dabbing at his wounds.

"You're awake," she said, her voice filled with relief, "they'll be happy to hear it." She left him momentarily, returning with Venus, Pyro, Tails, Rouge, and Knuckles in tow.

"Shadow!" Rouge exclaimed, kneeling next to him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he mumbled groggily, looking up at Knuckles, who still looked guilt-stricken, "how about you?"

"Considering what I did to you, I think I should have been dealt worse." Knuckles replied hoarsely. He sported a black eye, and nothing else.

"Stop torturing yourself," Shadow sat up slowly, "the agent of doubt took over you, just like the agent of fear took over both Tails, and myself. If you want to point the finger of blame at anyone, point it at the Great Evil."

"Even so," Knuckles lowered himself onto one knee, bowing, "I beg your forgiveness, and as penance, I am in your debt."

"There's nothing to forgive," Shadow argued, "and you're not in my debt. If not for you, I would never be able to unleash the emeralds' full power." Shadow stood, reaching his hand out to Knuckles. The echidna gripped it, and rose to his feet. "We'll call it even." Shadow grinned wryly, the two shaking hands.

"You should take it easy," Knuckles cautioned, you're swaying right now."

"Yeah, Shadow, he's right," Rouge nodded, "you should get more rest."

"I can't rest, not when the Great Evil is threatening to…" Shadow never managed to finish his protest. He began to fall, Knuckles catching him. He laid the exhausted hedgehog down gently, looking to Tikal worriedly.

"He'll be alright," she assured him, "his wounds aren't grave. He just needs more rest.

"Then Knuckles and I will gather some fruit for him for when he awakes, " Rouge offered, "it'll help him get his strength back."

Venus and Pyro stood on either side of Shadow, looking concerned. Tails gave them both reassuring pats on their heads, and led them away, letting the hedgehog get his much-deserved rest.

Tikal knelt beside him, continuing her ministrations to his wounds. Knuckles and Rouge began gathering the fruit their worried voices barely a whisper.

--

_Author's note: Hope you liked the chapter. Next one will be up soon (within a few days). Might be a bit shorter, too, but I hope you still like it. ^_^_


	18. Chapter 18: Temptress

**Chapter 18: Temptress**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team.**

_Author's Note: I apologize for the delay. Without further ado..._

_--_

Days passed, Shadow fading in and out of consciousness. When he was awake, he had glimpses, sensations, none of which gave him much to go on. A pair of concerned eyes, a halo and a spiked bauble, a high-heeled boot, a gentle caress on his forehead fervent whispering, another pair of concerned eyes…

"I think he might come out of it, this time."

"His fever has gone down, but he's going to need more fruit."

"I'll gather more."

He recognized Knuckle's voice, his eyes flitting open.

_"How are you feeling?"_ Pyro asked, Shadow's mind slow to translate the words.

"Like I've crashed to Earth from ARK all over again." He groaned, sitting up. Despite his concern, the little dark chao giggled, hugging his master.

"You gave us quite a scare," Rouge smiled weakly, "glad to see you're alright."

Shadow returned the smile, wincing as he did so. Pyro and Rouge exchanged worried glances.

"Has anything else happened?" Shadow asked suddenly, feeling alert.

"No, nothing we've been able to detect," Rouge confessed, "though, with you not sensing the agent of doubt so easily, we're not surprised."

"They're getting harder to detect, and now we don't know who to expect next," Shadow murmured, getting to his feet, "but I have a feeling one of them is close."

Knuckles returned with the fruit, everyone taking their fill. Rouge and Knuckles sat side-by-side, the arms linked, talking quietly. Though neither of them was the overly mushy kind, they couldn't hide the glint in their eyes. Shadow saw how they looked at one another, how happy they seemed to be together.

_Well, at least they've made amends_. His gaze drifting to where Tails sat, the young fox still looking sullen. Tikal sat next to him, quietly observing everyone as Shadow did. Pyro and Venus were swimming laps in the pool, giggling.

"I'll be back in a little bit," Shadow announced to the group, "I just need to check something." He grabbed one of the chaos emeralds, no one overly concerned with this gesture; they all had agreed that Shadow should use an emerald as a safety precaution from here on out.

He left the garden, deciding he'd visit one of the comets floating around ARK. He stepped onto the teleporting device, and keyed in his destination.

A tingling sensation went through his body, followed by a bright flash. He closed his eyes tightly, not fond of the sensation the teleporter still caused for him, even after all the times he'd used it. When his eyes opened again, they were staring into Rouge's.

--

"What's going on? What are you doing here?" Shadow asked, bewildered. He was on the comet, so how did Rogue arrive before him?

"I wanted to see you," she breathed, her eyes boring into his, "we should be together…"

"Rouge, you're not making sense! You love Knuckles, remember?" Shadow backed away from the bat, torn between confusion and another familiar sensation. _This is crazy! Why would Rouge be with Knuckles one minute, then pursuing me the next?_

It didn't add up, and yet here she was, standing so close that if he leaned forward, he could-

_No, stop it,_ he chided himself_, don't think like that. Rouge is your friend, nothing else. She loves Knuckles, and he loves her._

"But don't you _want_ me?" Rouge pouted, stepping closer and closer.

"You're my friend," Shadow said weakly, unable to stop Rouge from placing her finger on the white tuft of fur on his chest. She swirled her finger there, tickling him.

"We could be more than just friends…" she hinted, winking playfully.

"R-Rouge," Shadow gasped, catching hold of her hand to stop her further teasing his chest, "this is not you. What's wrong?"

"You're rejecting me?" her voice quavered, wounded.

Shadow shook himself, trying to focus. _It's like I'm under some sort of spell_. He thought, panicking. Then, it fell into place, and he glared at the creature in front of him. He held up the chaos emerald, and yelled, "Agent of temptation, show your true form!"

A beam of light came form the chaos emerald, hitting the fake Rouge in the chest. Shadow watched as she transformed into the silhouette of a female cat, the agent giggling maliciously.

Shadow fought the anger within him, and concentrated on what he had to do. "Chaos control!" he bolted toward the agent of temptation, time stopping at his command. To his dismay, it didn't affect her.

"I could give you whatever your heart desires," she whispered, her face becoming Rouge's again, "the girl you love, eternal life…and all you have to do is swear allegiance to my master…"

Shadow gulped, his heart racing. Until now, he'd been in denial about how he felt for Rouge; he had himself into believing that he wanted her to be happy with Knuckles…but in the face of the temptress, his heart could not lie.

Ever since Rouge had cried in his arms, he'd realized it; he was in love with her.

"No!" he shouted, his senses taking hold of him, "It's because I love her that I want her to be happy with him instead of me! I will never work for your master!"

Light surrounded and penetrated him, the chaos emerald in his hand humming with energy. He attacked the temptress, the pure light surrounding him too much for the agent to bear. With a final cry, her façade was shattered, and she was no more.

--

When Shadow returned to the garden, he told everyone that another agent had been vanquished. When asked for the details, he ignored all of them, claiming he needed rest.

No one knew what to make of his behaviour, but thought it wise not to press. He headed toward the far corner of the chao garden, leaning against a tree, and sliding down into a sitting position. He closed his eyes, and let out a sigh.

_It's better for her if she's with him, _he told himself, _they're happy together. I won't come between them. But I swear, I will take down the Great Evil; and when I do, I'll forget all about her…she doesn't need me complicating things, anyway._

--

_Author's Note: Hmm, probably a bit short, but I hope you like it, just the same_.


	19. Chapter 19: The Final Agent?

**Chapter 19: The Final Agent?**

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team

**--**

_"Master Shadow, wake up!"_ a tiny hand shook Shadow's shoulder, the dark hedgehog letting out a sleepy moan. _"Please, Master Shadow!"_ the voice said more urgently.

Shadow stirred, recognizing the voice and the language. He opened his eyes, his vision blurred. Blinking a few times, his vision came into sharper focus. "What's wrong, Pyro?" he turned to the dark fly-type, seeing fear in the little creatures' eyes.

The chao pointed toward the cave, whispering frantically in chao language, _"There's something there."_

The cave under the waterfall ordinarily led to the chao races and karate lessons. But Shadow knew Pyro didn't fear either; he had obtained very ribbon and gem, even managing to get the Hero ribbon when Shadow had accidentally caused the chao to go neutral in one of his lives (having unwittingly fed the then baby chao, Pyro, hero fruit while being a 'dark' creature, himself).

"I feel it, too," Shadow replied after coming out of his reverie, "I wonder which agent it is?"

_"Only one remains,"_ Pyro chattered softly, _"the agent of deceit."_

Shadow thought about the prophecy, which he'd memorized word-for-word.

_Each dark minion poses a different threat; fear, temptation, deceit, doubt…and anything else the Great Evil will see as the chosen one's downfall. The chosen one, the pure hero, will face all of these, and more._

"But the prophecy spoke of more," Shadow insisted, "it only named some of them."

"_Not all of them bear names,"_ Pyro offered, _"like the first henchman."_

"Even if this is the last of the agents," Shadow conceded, "the Great Evil still has other minions, others at his command."

"_Then we will face them, in turn, as the prophecy says."_ Another chao voice declared, startling both Shadow and Pyro. Venus stood there, looking at the pair of them_. "So,"_ she said after a moment, _"you feel it, too?"_

Both nodded.

"We need to wake the others," Shadow stated, "we can't just leave them in the dark."

"_No, or they could end up like Amy and Sonic."_ Venus agreed sadly.

Shadow looked around, his gaze falling on Tikal and Tails. "I'll wake them. You two go wake Rouge and Knuckles."

The two chao nodded, and set off to fulfill their task. Shadow glided over the ground with his hover shoes, crouching next to Tails, shaking him.

"Wake up!" Shadow hissed, the fox jumping.

"What's happened?" his voice was thick with sleep, but his eyes were wild, alert.

"There's something there, in the cave." Shadow threw his thumb over his shoulder unnecessarily.

Tails got to his feet, he and Shadow walking the few steps to Tikal's sleeping form.

"Tikal, Tikal!" Tails whispered urgently, shaking the soft-orange coloured echidna. Her eyes opened, a quizzical look on her face.

Shadow could hear Knuckles and Rouge approaching, the dark and hero chao behind them. Tails explained the situation to Tikal, who got to her feet quickly.

Knuckles held the Master Emerald, beginning his incantation. Light filled the emerald, spreading toward the seven chaos emeralds. They spun around it, faster and faster. Shadow grabbed Venus and Pyro, leading them toward the power.

"Powers of chaos and order, dark and light, matter and anti-matter, I command you," Shadow shouted, "lend me the true powers of chaos control!"

--

The seven companions entered the cave, Shadow, Venus and Pyro in their hyper forms. At first, they couldn't see anything, their eyes unable to adjust to the dark straight away. Fortunately, the light emitting from Shadow and the two chao was in their favour, not leaving them in the dark for long.

The cave appeared empty, but Shadow knew better. "Show yourself!" he demanded, his hand outstretched, tingling with energy. The cave shimmered, distorting. Everyone gasped, Shadow gritting his teeth_. Now what?_ He seethed, his eyes darting around the cave, everyone still standing behind him.

Then he saw them; Sonic and Amy stood before him, staring at him accusingly.

"You forgot about us." Amy growled, her eyes gleaming dangerously.

"You left us for dead." Sonic accused, his teeth bared.

"Didn't even look for us."

"Left us to the mercy of the Great Evil…"

Shadow felt the guilt and shame washing over him, pulling him in.

"No, I didn't forget you," he whispered, his outstretched hand trembling, "I didn't know how to find you…"

"You never even tried to find us!" spat Sonic.

"You abandoned us, when we needed you!" cried Amy.

"I'm sorry," Shadow looked between them imploringly, "I'm so sorry…" The guilt was powerful, bringing him to his knees, his ears ringing.

"Shadow, get up!" Knuckles demanded.

"It's not the real Sonic and Amy," Tails declared, "it's the agent of deceit!"

"But I left them," Shadow's voice quavered, "they could have been dead, and I didn't even search for them…"

"It isn't them," Rouge cried, "please, Shadow. Listen to us!"

"Amy…Sonic…" Shadow looked up at the pink and blue hedgehogs, tears in his eyes.

"_Master Shadow, it isn't them,"_ Pyro exclaimed, _"the real Amy and Sonic wouldn't torment you like this!"_

"He's right, Shadow," Rouge proclaimed, "think about it! Sonic and Amy would never blame you like that! Please, get up, Shadow!"

The fake Amy and Sonic walked toward him now, sneering.

"Left us for dead!"

"Abandoned us!"

"Coward!"

"Couldn't even save us…"

Shadow shook, tears cascading down his cheeks, an angry fire burning in his eyes. 'Enough!" He shouted, glowing brighter than ever before. Pyro and Venus rushed to his side, Shadow now standing.

"Farewell, agent of deceit!" he shouted, proceeding with a resounding, "Chaos control!"

Venus and Pyro joined hands, a golden light erupting between them, penetrating the darkness.

"_You will fall before my dark master,"_ hissed a voice, the fake Amy and Sonic vanishing, _"I may be vanquished, but you will kneel before my master, and beg for his mercy!"_

The cave shook, rocks falling all around them. "We've got to get out of here!" Tikal cried, the others gasping.

"Chaos control!" Shadow shouted, warping them all to safety.

They landed in the chao garden, Shadow collapsing, panting heavily. His hyper form vanished, along with Pyro and Venus'. The Master Emerald and the seven chaos emeralds lay in a jumble, Knuckles kneeling beside them, sweat on his brow, his breath coming out in pained gasps.

Rouge rubbed his back soothingly, and realizing she was being watched, looked up. Her gaze met Shadow's, and she frowned uncertainly.

Tails was helping Tikal to her feet, both looking shaken.

"I've got to learn to use the power on my own," Shadow declared after a moment, "I can't expect you to always help me." His eyes met Knuckles, who only nodded weakly.

"I'll teach you, once we've rested." He finally gasped out.

"Alright, then." Shadow settled down against a tree, and drifted off to sleep, the others doing the same.

--

Author's note: I hope this was to your liking. If anyone sees any typos or any other kinds of errors, please let me know so I can fix them. ;)


	20. Chapter 20: The Final Battle Begins

**Chapter 20: The Final Battle Begins**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team.**

Author's Note: I apologize sincerely for the delay. I'll do the best I can to get chapters up more quickly.

--

If it hadn't been for their exhaustion, the companions never would have fallen asleep following such terrifying events. Shadow was plagued with dreams, none of which he could recall in completion.

The following morning, he remembered images, voices, feelings-but none of them could quite fit together.

A dark swirling vortex…a beam of golden light…a pair of long-lashed eyes…a kindly smile…tinkling laughter…warmth spreading through his body…a murmur…

Shadow shook himself, the images neither fading nor sharpening in his mind's eye. He looked around the garden, realizing that, besides himself, Rouge was the only one awake.

She didn't see him, but seemed to be staring at a batch of flowers intently.

"Rouge?" he crouched beside her, the ivory bat looking up at him, startled.

"Oh, hey," She said distractedly, adjusting her gloves, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Shadow replied, "just needed some rest, that's all."

Rouge nodded, "So, Knuckles is going to help you harness the full power of the chaos emeralds so you can do it without him?"

"Yes. It's becoming too hard on him to continuously start them up for me," Shadow explained, "you saw how exhausted he was last night."

"I also saw how exhausted _you_ were." Rouge gave him a meaningful look.

Shadow averted his gaze, "I'm use to it." He turned to leave, Rouge catching hold of his wrist.

"Shadow, something's wrong, isn't it?" she asked, searching his eyes. He looked away, unable to deny it. "Whatever it is, let me help you, please!"

"You cannot help me with this one," he replied, "It's a battle I can't win."

"I knew it," Rouge gasped, "you're not talking about the Great Evil, are you?"

Shadow pulled himself free of her grasp, saying sharply, "Rouge, just leave it alone." He stalked out of the garden, halting in the chao lobby. He didn't want to leave his friends; what if something happened to them while he was gone?

_But, I can't stay here, not with her._ It was worse than he'd ever imagined. He loved her. If she'd asked him, he probably wouldn't have been able to deny it. That's why he left. He loved her, and she wasn't his. And that wasn't all. _No, Knuckles is my friend as well. I could never betray his trust like that._

"Shadow, please." Her voice reached him, pleading. He looked back, Rouge standing in the chao garden entrance, tears threatening to leak from her eyes.

"I can't. You can't," he murmured, his chest tight, "you love him. He loves you. I will never betray that."

"So, I was right," Rouge's voice was thick with emotion, "I saw it in your eyes last night. Even before that, too."

"It doesn't matter," Shadow replied, "you and Knuckles belong together. You know it, and so do I."

"I know," she conceded, wiping her eyes, "but I can't stand that I'm hurting you."

"You're not," he lied, "and you shouldn't be worrying about me. You don't feel for me as you do for him."

"But I do," she whispered, her eyes brimming with fresh tears, "and I always have."

"It's just the stress," Shadow insisted, "you're just confused. It's my fault, really…"

Rouge looked at him quizzically, a tear running down her cheek. "What…?"

"Comforting you when you thought Knuckles was in love with Tikal, letting you talk to me about all your fears, letting you cry into me when you were consumed by pain or guilt…it's my fault. I showed a side of myself to you that I shouldn't have," he declared, the words catching in his throat, "I'm sorry, Rouge. I'm really sorry I put you through this. I promise, it won't happen again."

"Shadow…" Rouge croaked. He brushed passed her, deciding to return to the garden. She grasped his hand in both of hers, stopping him. He tried not to, but he looked into her eyes. "Shadow," she whispered, pulling him back into the lobby, "I'm not going to leave Knuckles for you. I couldn't betray him anymore than you could." The tears flowed freely now, the ivory bat searching his eyes. "I just want to know that you're alright. I care for you, and I may love Knuckles-I did choose him-but I want to know that you'll be okay, that I'm not causing you agony…"

"I can't lie," he murmured, "I've cared for you for a long time, Rouge. But more than anything, I want to see you happy. When you're with Knuckles, I see that. It's because of that, that I am alright." He hugged her then, his heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time.

After a few moments, Rouge let go of him, and gave him a faint smile.

"We should return to the garden," Shadow said, "I'm going to need Knuckles' guidance this time, if we're to beat the Great Evil."

--

Three hours passed, Shadow collapsing onto the grass, panting.

"You've mastered it," Knuckles declared, "now, all that's left is to perfect it."

"How can I? I keep losing all my energy…" Shadow winced, clutching his heaving chest.

You are getting stronger," Tikal said reassuringly, "I can sense it. You're holding on to the power longer each time."

"It's true," Knuckles agreed, "you're getting more powerful every time you use it."

_But, will it be enough?_ Shadow thought, gasping.

"You can do this," Rouge murmured, reading the doubtful look in his eyes, "we know you can."

"It's in the prophecy, remember?" Tails offered, his double-tail swishing behind him lazily, " _'He will gain power he had not, become stronger than he could ever imagine.'_"

Shadow thought this over, his arms crossed. _They're right. Everything in the prophecy has come true so far, and it's all been due to my choices. If I give up on myself now, I give up on the rest of the world. If I do that, I condemn it to the darkness._ He looked up at the expectant faces around him, and nodded. "You're right. I have to keep fighting. For Sonic and Amy. For the world."

"_You can do it, Master Shadow!"_ Pyro exclaimed, Venus agreeing.

"I think I know how we can find the Great Evil," Tikal whispered, her eyes unfocused, "but we have to move fast."

"How? Where is it?" Shadow demanded, finding his energy again.

"ARK."

--

_I never thought,_ Shadow mused unhappily_, that I'd be back here, in the space colony_. His memories of Maria were still painfully clear, as was his battle with the prototype.

"Where do we go from here?" he asked Tikal. The orange echidna had led them this far, to the eclipse cannon's reactor. For some reason, he couldn't sense the Great Evil right now; so, he and the others relied on Tikal, who had picked up the evil trail.

"Now you need to use the incantation," she replied, "and it should show itself."

Before they could even set the emeralds up, a black vortex appeared, swirling fast, and growing larger.

"Look out!" Shadow shouted, grabbing Venus and Pyro, and ducking into the fake shrine that had been used to harness the emeralds' power several months before. He heard Tikal scream, followed by Knuckles hoarse cry.

"Stay here!" he commanded the two chao, darting out. He watched as the vortex swallowed Tikal, Knuckles' hand reaching for her. "No, Tikal!" Shadow bellowed, gritting his teeth. The vortex spun faster, pulling Knuckles and Rouge toward it.

"Get out of there, save yourselves!" Shadow cried, racing toward them.

"No, get back. If it gets you, all is lost!" Knuckles growled, fighting against the gravitational pull.

"Hang on!" Tails shouted, launching himself at the bat and echidna, his double-tail spinning like helicopter blades, causing him to take flight.

"No, Miles!" Shadow called, watching as the three disappeared within the vortex. He clenched his fists, glaring at the black hole.

"WE FINALLY MEET, FACE TO FACE," a deep booming voice rang out, "I HAVE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS. IF YOU WANT TO SEE THEM ALIVE, BOW BEFORE ME, AND ALL WILL BE FORGIVEN!"

"Never!" Shadow snarled vehemently, "Once I defeat you, my friends will be freed, the world along with them!"

"INSOLENT FOOL," boomed the voice, "YOU REALLY THINK YOU HAVE A CHANCE AGAINST ME? FINE. YOU WILL MEET YOUR FATE!"

Shadow raced to the two chao, who looked both terrified and angry. "It's now or never," he declared, "Pyro, Venus, let's go! It's time to show him the true power of chaos control!`

--

_Author 's Note: The Great Evil arrives…who or what, is it? I know, yet another cliff-hanger. The conclusions will follow in the next chapters. I hope you enjoyed. ;) Let me know if any errors are present, as well. I'll fix them, ASAP._


	21. Chapter 21: Enter Black Doom

**Chapter 21:Enter Black Doom**

**Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Sega and Sonic Team**

**--**

"Powers of dark and light, matter and anti-matter, order and chaos, I command you, grant us the true power of chaos control!"

Shadow, Pyro and Venus stood in the centre, the Master Emerald floating directly above them, the seven chaos emeralds spiralling around it. Light flowed from them into the Master Emerald, a beam shooting out of its lower point, striking the three heroes beneath it.

Shadow shone brightly, now Hyper-Shadow, the two chao glowing on either side of him. Their phoenix gifts were larger, more striking. Brilliant golden flame surrounded them, their eyes filled with the deepest determination.

"SO BE IT, SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG," boomed the voice of the Great Evil, "YOU WISH TO FIGHT ME? YOU AND YOUR COMPANIONS WILL MEET YOUR END. PREPARE YOURSELF!"

Though they tried to fight it, they couldn't escape the pull of the vortex. It sucked them in, the emeralds along with them.

--

Shadow blinked several times, looking around. _We appear to be floating in space._ He concluded. Pyro and Venus floated on either side of him, alert, angry. A dark figure floated before them, three glowing red eyes staring at them fiercely. Two pointed ears protruded from the top of its head, and it had no legs. It was cloaked in deep purple, chains bearing sickles upon its neck, the cloak accented with golden cuffs, and a green scarf.

"I am Black Doom," his voice echoed around them, "though you have referred to me as 'the Great Evil'." His face was pure darkness, though Shadow could swear he was sneering at them.

"It doesn't matter what your name is," Shadow retorted, "you will be destroyed, either way." He then focused his energy, shouting, "Choas Spear!"

Spears of yellow light appeared before him, charging toward Black Doom.

Black Doom snarled, and threw a dark static sphere at him.

Shadow dodged just in time, Venus and Pyro flying in the opposite direction. They shot tiny balls of white light at Black Doom, Shadow following suit with Chaos Blast.

The attack slammed into Black Doom, the evil spectre growling, "You will pay for your insolence!"

His chains shot out, catching the trio off-guard. One slammed into Shadow, knocking the breath out of him. He could hear Venus and Pyro's squeals as the second one hit them, and grit his teeth.

"Chaos control!' he shouted, warping directly behind Black Doom, punching him rapidly.

Black Doom roared in outrage, turning around, his chains lashing at the black hedgehog.

"Venus, Pyro, now!" he commanded, the chains binding him tightly.

The two chao joined hands, glowing with a fiery gold light. Crying out in a language that was neither common, nor their own, they sent the beam of light at Black Doom, hitting him full-force.

He reeled under the impact, crying out. The chains binding Shadow loosened, falling away from his body.

Shadow charged up his energy, the chaos emeralds appearing around him, the Master Emerald further away, but still glowing brightly. "I'll show you the true power of chaos control!" he roared.

Time stopped, Shadow warping all around Black Doom, slamming his fists into the evil being over and over, finalizing with a well-placed kick.

Black Doom snarled again, saying threateningly, "You will rue the day you stood up against me, hedgehog!" Dark matter swirled around him, collecting into a large mass, in the form of a sphere. He thrust his claw-like hands out, the beam charging at the two chao.

"Venus, Pyro! Get out of there!" Shadow cried, hurtling toward them at break-neck speed. He shoved them out of the way, taking the full blast.

"_Master Shadow!"_ Venus and Pyro cried in unison, their chao voices high with fear.

Shadow groaned, dazed. He felt as if he'd been struck by lightning, engulfed in fire, and instantly frozen, all at once. His body ached, sharp, dagger-like pains shooting up his quills.

"I'll make my offer again," Black Doom rasped, "bow before me, and I'll show you mercy."

"Never…" Shadow gasped, wincing from the pain, "I'll never betray my friends, or the world, to you!"

He began to glow even more intensely, the light emitting from him nearly blinding. Venus and Pyro too, began to glow more brightly, swirls of golden light cascading all around them. The Master Emerald and the chaos emeralds had similar chains of energy passing between them, fuelling each other, back and forth.

"Now, emeralds borne of chaos and order, I command you, strike down Black Doom!"

The emeralds glowed at their apex, light flowing within them, and spreading out, showering around Black Doom.

"Chaos control!" Shadow shouted, warping close to Black Doom once again, gripping him tightly, "Time to bring your reign to an end…for good!" he declared. He shot the most powerful Chaos Blast he'd ever harnessed, Venus and Pyro following suit with their own phoenix fire; the golden beam of fire slamming into Black Doom, spreading throughout his body, Shadow unleashing Chaos Spear to follow the blast, cutting through the spectre.

Black Doom let out a howl of pain and fury, and dark energy exploded form him, evaporating.

_It's…over…_Shadow thought, his energy draining.

Venus and Pyro lost their hyper forms along with him, the three slipping into oblivion.

--

_He was floating in nothingness, surrounded by white light._

"_You made it." Echoed a familiar voice._

_Shadow turned around, seeing Tikal's warm smile. "Where are we?"_

"_I'm not really sure," she replied, still smiling, "but I've been here before."_

"_What do you mean?" Shadow inquired._

"_Long ago, my father, chief of the tribe, __Pachacamac, did terrible things. I did not mention it to you before, for fear that you'd judge me harshly."_

"_I swear, I won't," Shadow promised, "I don't have a clean record myself."_

"_Well, my father was a tyrant. The chao use to surround our temple, and our shrine, on Angel Island. One chao, who became Ultimate, earned the title Chaos, and guarded the Master Emerald."_

"_What happened?" Shadow aske,d absorbed by her tale._

"_My father sought to steal the Master Emerald, and control the chaos emeralds. In doing so, he slaughtered many chao, angering Chaos."_

_Tikal paused here, her eyes shining with tears. Shadow waited for her to continue, staring at her intently._

"_Dr. Eggman tricked Chaos, dubbing him Chaos Zero, and used him to his own devices. He used Chaos Zero in order to track the chaos emeralds down, which when he absorbned them, turned him into Perfect Chaos. All the chao fled when this happened, creating their own world."_

"_Dr. Eggman munipulated him, too?" Shadow said in surprise._

_Tikal nodded. "After a time, Knuckles and I sought to persuade Chaos back to our side. But, we could not, so I sealed Chaos in the Master Emerald, along with myself."_

"_But why? Why seal yourself, too?"_

"_To make sure Chaos didn't escape," Tikal explained, "but one day, the Master Emerald was shattered, releasing both of us. It took much fighting and reasoning, but Sonic brought Chaos back to the light side, with my help. My life was restored, as was his. Now, he guards the shrine where the Master Emerald and chaos emeralds belong, providing fresh, clean water for my tribe, which is free from my father's power hungry rule."_

"_And Knuckles usually guards it along with Chaos?" Shadow inquired, Tikal nodding. "Where are the others? How do we get back?" he asked, searching around them, but seeing no one else._

"_I will not be returning with you," Tikal replied, smiling sadly, "I already had a chance at rebirth. But, I will send you back to them. They're waiting for you…"_

_Her voice echoed all around him, Shadow feeling himself being propelled away. With a flash, he was gone from the strange void, Tikal smiling, tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Shadow."_

_--_

Author's Note: Tell me what you think. I changed around some of the original story surrounding Tikal and the echidna tribe, but what else is a fanfiction for? ;) Please R and R!


	22. Chapter 22: The Ultimate Returns and Epi

**Chapter 22: The Ultimate Returns**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team.**

**--**

Shadow awoke in a familiar place, looking around warily. _It's the chao garden_, he realized, sitting up.

"Welcome back." Sonic beamed at him, sticking out a hand to help him to his feet.

"We knew you could do it!" Amy exclaimed next to him, gripping Sonic's elbow.

"There was never any doubt." Knuckles chuckled, Rouge at his side, smiling widely.

"Way to go, Ultimate life form," she winked, "how does it feel to save the entire world again?"

Tails rushed forward, hugging the black and red hedgehog, tears spilling from his eyes. "Shadow, you saved us! I was so worried!"

Shadow hugged the fox back, smiling. His smile faded, and he looked around frantically. "Where are Pyro and Venus?"

"Don't worry, they're fine," Sonic assured him, the two chao running out from behind the blue hedgehog, tackling Shadow to the ground.

He chuckled, the Hero and Dark chao tickling him as they clambered all over him, greeting him enthusiastically. "Okay, okay! Calm down," he laughed, hugging them closely, "you two were brilliant!"

"As were you," Sonic added, "Black Doom is no more."

Shadow sat up, the two chao still in his arms. "But wait," he began, a thought coming to him, "what happened to all of you after you were pulled into the vortex?"

They all exchanged glances, not sure how to proceed. Rouge cleared her throat, deciding that she'd recount the events to him. "To be honest, we're not really sure. Wherever we were, it was dark. We could see a beam of light, and it always trailed toward you."

"We could never tell where you were, " Amy picked up the story, "but we could always see you and the chao, shining with brilliant intensity."

"Amy and I could see the others with you, until they were sucked into the vortex," Sonic explained, "and after that, we all saw you do something incredible with the emeralds."

"By then, I'd already filled them in on the fact that you could use the power of the emeralds on your own," Knuckles stated, "and we watched you fight the Great Evil, and heard him announce himself to you as 'Black Doom'."

"It was so frustrating, watching you fight by yourselves," Rouge lamented, "we wanted to help you, but we were trapped. Our only way out, it seems, was through you."

"When you defeated him, we appeared in this white void." Tails explained.

"I was there, too. I saw Tikal," Shadow murmured, "she explained everything to me."

"About her father and Chaos Zero?" Knuckles guessed.

"Yes," Shadow nodded, "and she sent me back."

"She did the same with us," Rouge said thoughtfully, "but couldn't return, herself."

Knuckles quickly explained to Rouge what she had missed in their caper before the fiasco on ARK, filling in the blanks for her.

"But there's something I don't understand," Shadow said, his hand stroking his chin thoughtfully, "where did Black Doom come from?"

"No one knows," Sonic shrugged, "but thanks to you, we don't have to worry anymore." He shook hands with Shadow, both grinning at each other in mutual respect.

"You were right," Shadow chuckled after a moment, "you _do_ die hard!"

--

Epilogue: Parting of the Ways

"Are you ready to go, Rouge?" Knuckles called, the ivory bat hugging Shadow one more time.

"Be there in a sec," she called back, then turned to Shadow, "take care of yourself." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and joined Knuckles, who waved at him, grinning.

"See you around!" the echidna hollered, and he and Rouge turned, exiting the chao garden.

Rouge was going to Angel Island with Knuckles, where she would forever be exposed to the chaos emeralds, along with the Master Emerald. She would also be with the man she loved, but that was a bonus to her, or so she joked. Shadow knew better; she had grown to love Knuckles more than any gem, but was too proud to admit it. Her love for Shadow would remain unrequited. No one else needed to know.

"So, what does life hold for you, now?" Sonic sidled up to him, Amy right behind him.

Shadow grinned, "I think I'll take a page from your book, and go wherever my feet take me."

"We will meet again, won't we?" Amy asked, sounding anxious.

"Of course. What of Pyro and Venus?" Shadow asked.

"They're rounding up the other chao, letting them know that Black Doom has been vanquished." Tails approached them, smiling brightly.

"Once they're done, they plan on going to Angel Island, where they rightfully belong." Amy explained.

"Don't worry. Rouge and Knuckles will take care of them, and so will Chaos."

Shadow nodded, "I will miss them both," he stated, "when you guys visit them, tell them I'll be around someday soon."

"Of course," Sonic grinned, "until then, travel the world. Make new friends, enjoy the sights."

"Yes," Shadow shook the blue hedgehog's hand, "Maria would have liked that."

He said goodbye to each of them in turn, vowing to see them again once his journey was over.

"Sayonara, Shadow the hedgehog." Sonic smiled, and ran, Tails and Amy right behind him, the black and red hedgehog grinning as they left.

_Goodbye, blue hedgehog._ He took one last look around the chao garden, deciding to stop in the Hero Garden on his way out. He smiled, remembering when he begged for Venus' help, and had received it, after many moments of painstaking grovelling.

He then descended the steps, and reached the Dark Garden. He gave it one last, long look, remembering all the times that he and Pyro had shared, and all the chao who had once lived there. _Yes, I'll visit them all,_ he decided, _when I've truly fulfilled my promise to Maria, I will see Pyro and Venus again._

He sped out of the garden, stepping onto the transporter in the chao lobby. The stars shone brightly. Everything was back as it should be. With a smile, he disappeared, the chao world left to be silent, its purpose long since fulfilled.

-The End-

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Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed reading this fic, and I hope the ending is satisfactory. There will be future stories by me, maybe even a sequel to this one, but it'll be awhile later.

_Thanks to all who have read and reviewed. It's sad to end it now, but all stories have an end…until next time, take care._


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